PRINCE GEORGE ‘IS TARGET OF JIHADIS’
Man in dock accused of urging extremists to attack the royals
A MAN accused of terrorism allegedly warned “even the royal family won’t be left alone” as he encouraged extremists to attack Prince George at his primary school.
Husnain Rashid, 31, appeared in court yesterday accused of posting the message on his own extremist internet channel along with a silhouette of a jihadi next to the four-year-old prince.
Rashid also called for attacks on the World Cup finals in Russia and the Wimbledon tennis championships, according to the prosecution.
And he allegedly encouraged extremists to target British football stadiums and the Jewish community in a series of encrypted messages for about a year until he was arrested last month. Describing one of the messages, prosecutor Rebecca Mundy told Westminster magistrates court: “There was a photo of the young Prince George at the start of the school term next to a silhouette of an ISIS fighter.”
The image was allegedly posted by Rashid on October 10 and included the address for Thomas’s school in Battersea, South West London, and text which read: “Even the royal family won’t be left alone” and “school starts early”.
Rashid is also accused of wanting to leave the UK and fight for Islamic State
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in Syria. He is charged with preparing to commit terrorist acts and one count of assisting others to commit acts of terror.
Balding and bearded Rashid, dressed in a grey prison issue tracksuit, spoke only to confirm his name, address and nationality, during the brief hearing.
Ms Mundy told the court he broadcast the messages on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, where he had a channel called “The Lone Mujahid”.
She said: “The posts he broadcasts on to the channel clearly convey one message only and that is to go out and commit terrorist attacks in the UK, in Europe and worldwide.” According to
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the prosecution case, the channel broadcast a map of the Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis Club in July with a caption which read: “I luuurve tennis! #Just_terror#wimbledon#uk#copycat_ Manchesterarena”.
Rashid indicated not guilty pleas to the two charges. Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot told him: “I’m sending this case to the Central Criminal Court, these are indictable only matters, you will be there on the 20th of December.”
Rashid, from Nelson, Lancs, was remanded in custody until his appearance at the Old Bailey.
The alleged threat to Prince George came a month after an unrelated incident where a woman, 40, was arrested for breaking in to his school. She was cautioned and police reviewed security.
The posts convey one message... to commit terrorist attacks PROSECUTOR