Birmingham man charged over headband worn in pro-Palestine rally
Writing on his headband was said to raise suspicion he supports Hamas.
Last updated 12th Jan 2024
Khaled Hajsaad, 24, from Birmingham, is accused over the presence of the Islamic Shehada on the item of clothing worn at a pro-Palestine rally in central London on November 25.
He is said to have worn the clothing "in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hamas."
The alleged offence is contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000.
Hajsaad will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime and counter terrorism division, said: "The charge follows an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command.
"Criminal proceedings against this individual are active and he has the right to a fair trial.
"It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.
"The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider."