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Zimbabwean based in the UK charged with Facebook terror offences
06 Feb 2021 at 07:14hrs | Views
A science supply teacher has been charged with terror offences over speeches shared on his Facebook page.
William Chinyanga, 50, who was born in Zimbabwe, was charged with four counts of encouraging terrorism on January 13.
The charges relate to speeches allegedly shared by the teacher - who lives in Archway, north London - on Facebook in early December 2019.
The videos encouraged viewers to burn down petrol stations and businesses in Zimbabwean capital Harare to put ‘pressure' on the Government, local media reports.
Chinyanga is a campaigner for political change in his home country, the Old Bailey heard.
He was arrested on February 25 last year by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.
On Friday, Chinyanga appeared at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing in his case.
Justice Sweeney set a provisional trial date of January 10 2022 with a further preparatory hearing on May 28.
The defendant - who spoke only to confirm his identity in the dock - was granted conditional bail.
The video shared in early December 2019 - titled The Roadmap to Zimbabwean Freedom - allegedly urged viewers to burn buses, petrol stations, fuel tankers and buildings to exert political pressure, Zimbabwean newspaper The Herald claims.
The video is understood to have been reported to authorities in Britain.
William Chinyanga, 50, who was born in Zimbabwe, was charged with four counts of encouraging terrorism on January 13.
The charges relate to speeches allegedly shared by the teacher - who lives in Archway, north London - on Facebook in early December 2019.
The videos encouraged viewers to burn down petrol stations and businesses in Zimbabwean capital Harare to put ‘pressure' on the Government, local media reports.
Chinyanga is a campaigner for political change in his home country, the Old Bailey heard.
On Friday, Chinyanga appeared at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing in his case.
Justice Sweeney set a provisional trial date of January 10 2022 with a further preparatory hearing on May 28.
The defendant - who spoke only to confirm his identity in the dock - was granted conditional bail.
The video shared in early December 2019 - titled The Roadmap to Zimbabwean Freedom - allegedly urged viewers to burn buses, petrol stations, fuel tankers and buildings to exert political pressure, Zimbabwean newspaper The Herald claims.
The video is understood to have been reported to authorities in Britain.
Source - Mailonline
