Two youths are expected to be produced in a London court today on terror charges inclined towards so-called far-right terrorism. After an investigation by the Central Terrorism unit of the Metropolitan police, the 18-year-old man and 19-year-old woman will be facing “severe charges”.
It has been done by an eighteen-year-old man of Ilford, east London – Rex William Henry Clark, who has been charged with the preparation of terrorist acts under the 2006 Terrorism Act. At the same time, a 19-year-old woman, Sofija Vinogradova, from Cheshunt, near London, stands accused of attempting to perpetrate acts of terrorism, together with two counts of obtaining information that may be useful in the commission or preparation of terrorist acts.
The police still detain both suspects and will be brought to Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
These charges have been initiated based on an ongoing probe into activities of extreme right-wing terrorism. Met’s Counterterrorism Commander Dominic Murphy underlined the seriousness of the charges and asked people not to make any assumptions about the case.
‘These are grave allegations, but for the time being, I would like to appeal to the public not to discuss this case anymore and let the criminal law system function independently,’ Murphy said. Thus, he said there is currently no evidence of further risk associated with this particular inquiry, although the inquiry is still underway.
These arrests and subsequent charges occurred in the wake of recent right-wing racist riotracistwere experienced in England and Northern Ireland. Initiation of these riots resulted from the sensational stabbing deaths of three girls at a dance class in Southport, northwest England. However, Commander Murphy said this inquiry is unrelated to the recent unrest after the Southport event.
The probe started when the woman was first detained for carrying a gun on August 4. Despite being bailed on the 4th, she was re-arrested on the 10th of August. The 18-year-old man was also arrested at the same address, and both men were later taken to a London police station to further the investigation.
While cases are still pending in the court of law, security agencies remain very active in casing threats of extremism and terrorism. In this regard, the case is a vivid example that far-right risks are still present, and people must remain wary of them.
The events of these hearings will receive more attention as they form the court investigation. The government surely persists in its perspectives of countering radical operations and guaranteeing the state’s security.
