ANKARA
A fourth person has been arrested as part of a British counterterrorism police investigation into the murder of a Syrian-born imam in London earlier this month, said police Sunday.
A 36-year-old man was arrested Friday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and was released on bail on Sunday, according to a police statement.
Abdul Hadi Arwani, a Syrian-born British national, was found shot dead in his car in Wembley, in northwest London, on April 7. The father of six was a known critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Last Wednesday, a 53-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of “the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism” and remains in custody at a south London police station.
A 61-year-old man, who police previously announced had been arrested on suspicion of murder, was taken into custody last Wednesday for “the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.” He remains in custody at a south London police station.
Another suspect, Leslie Cooper, 36, was arrested Sunday, April 12, in Brent, northwest London.
He appeared in a local London court on Tuesday, April 14, accused of killing the 48-year-old preacher.
Cooper then appeared at the Old Bailey, London’s central criminal court, last Thursday.
Police added that their search of the An-Noor mosque in northwest London, where the victim Abdul Hadi Arwani worked, was ongoing.
The investigation is being led by detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism command. Police say they are "open-minded" about the motive behind Arwani's murder.
