Man charged with British MP’s murder, terror offenses

LONDON

A 25-year-old man, who was arrested shortly after the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, has been charged with murder and preparation of terrorist acts, police said on Thursday.

“Ali Harbi Ali, 25 (01.02.96) of north London, was charged on Thursday, 21 October with murder (contrary to common law), and preparation of terrorist acts (contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006),” a Metropolitan Police statement said.

The charges were authorized by the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division (SCCTD), according to the statement.

The charged man will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

"Today's charge is a significant milestone in the case, but the work from my colleagues in the Met's Counter Terrorism Command will continue apace,” said Matt Jukes, assistant commissioner for specialist operations.

He said: "There has been considerable speculation in the media about the background, history and motivation of the man now charged.

"I understand the huge level of public interest in this case, but now a charge has been brought, it is vitally important that everyone exercises restraint when commenting on it publicly, to ensure future court proceedings are not prejudiced in any way."

Amess was killed in Leigh-on-Sea, a town in Essex, England, during a meeting with constituents on Oct. 15.

A 25-year-old man, arrested shortly after the incident, was questioned by counter-terrorism officers as the police declared the incident as terrorism.