Man charged with assisting Manchester synagogue attacker with reconnaissance
A man has been accused of assisting Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie with earlier reconnaissance at a defense facility in the UK.
Mohammed Bashir, 31, has been charged with four terrorism offences, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced on Thursday.
A spokesman said the alleged assistance provided by Bashir was not related to the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on October 2.
Worshipers Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed when Al-Shamie, a Syrian-born British national, drove a Kia Picanto towards the door of the synagogue and then attacked her with a knife while wearing a fake suicide belt.
The CPS said Bashir would also be prosecuted for sharing material online with the aim of encouraging terrorist acts.
Attorney General Frank Ferguson said: “Today, following an investigation by the North West Counter Terrorism Police into his conduct in connection with Jihad Al Shami, we have decided to prosecute Mohammed Bashir for terrorism offences.
“Our prosecutors concluded that there was sufficient evidence to charge Mohammed Bashir with one count of preparation for terrorist acts and three counts of sharing terrorist publications with Al-Shamie and others for the purpose of encouraging terrorist acts.”
Bashir is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The British national, who police said was a self-identified British Pakistani by ethnicity, was arrested at Manchester Airport on November 27.
Deputy Chief Constable Rob Potts, who has operational responsibility for North West Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “Following charging authority granted by the CPS, this morning we charged Mohammed Asim Bashir with a number of terrorist offences, including preparation for terrorist acts.
“These charges are not directly linked to the terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue but come as a result of investigations conducted by our investigation team.
“Bashir was released without charge in connection with the terrorist attack.
“However, he was remanded in custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow to face the charges, which was authorized today.
“Our investigation into the attack is ongoing and I would continue to appeal to anyone with helpful information to come forward.”
Al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by armed police while carrying out the attack.
