The United Kingdom banned the Muslim group al-Muhajiroun as a terror group in 2010, though it soon re-emerged under new names, including the Islamic Thinkers Society.
Prosecutors allege that Anjem Choudary, 56, violated the Terrorism Act when he gave lectures for the group on such subjects as creating an Islamic state in Britain.
He was arrested on July 17 and charged on July 24. His co-defendant, Khaled Hussein, 28, was also arrested on July 17 after flying in from Canada. Hussein is accused of aiding Choudary in creating an online platform for the promotion of the group’s radical Islamist political ideology.
Neither man entered a plea. Both will be held at least until their next hearing, which is scheduled for Aug. 4.
In the last 15 years, through frequent media appearances, Choudary established himself as one of the most prominent voices advocating Islamic radicalism in the United Kingdom. He was previously convicted of supporting the Islamic State in September 2016 and released in October 2018, serving half of a five-year, six-month sentence.
The United States designated Choudary a terrorist in March 2017.
