A police officer in northern England is set to appear in court this week to face terror charges after allegedly sharing an image supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas, a watchdog said Wednesday.
West Yorkshire Police constable Mohammed Adil, 26, is due at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London Thursday after being charged with two offences under the Terrorism Act, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
He was charged Monday with two counts of publishing an image in support of Hamas, which is a proscribed organisation in the UK, after allegedly sharing the image on WhatsApp, it added.
The offences are alleged to have taken place in October and November, shortly after Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza erupted following the militant group’s unprecedented October 7 attack.
The IOPC said it had directed an investigation into the WhatsApp messages — carried out by regional counter-terrorism police — which was then referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.
The CPS, a public body that decides on criminal charges in England and Wales, opted to prosecute Adil, who is currently suspended from his police role.
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