Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary is remanded in custody after being charged with terrorism offence over 'inviting support for ISIS'

• Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary charged under the Terrorism Act today
• He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court accused of supporting ISIS
• The 48-year-old remanded in custody to appear at Old Bailey this month
• Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, 32, was also in court to answer same charge

Controversial Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary has been remanded in custody after he was charged under the Terrorism Act for 'inviting support for ISIS' .

The 48-year-old from Ilford, north east London, appeared at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court this afternoon accused of supporting the organisation in lectures published online.

Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, 32, from Whitechapel, east London, was also in court to answer the same charge.

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Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary, pictured arriving at Southwark police station today to answer bail, has been charged under the Terrorism Act for 'inviting support for ISIS', Scotland Yard has said

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Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, 32, from east London, (pictured arriving at Southwark police station to answer bail today), has also been charged with supporting ISIS during the same dates

The offences - which can carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years - are alleged to have happened between June 29, 2014 and March 6, this year.

They were arrested in September 2014  by the Metropolitan Police's Counter-Terrorism Command on suspicion of being members of the proscribed organisation and have remained on bail since.

The bearded preacher wore a white gown and glasses and smiled as he walked in to the dock.

He chose to represent himself and spoke confidently as he outlined his indication to plead not guilty, waving around notes relating to his case

Choudary gesticulated and pointed to the court room as he made the 20-minute speech from the dock.

Several of his friends watched from the public gallery while the press benches were full for the hearing.

He appeared alongside Rahman, who wore grey tracksuit bottoms and a navy hoodie as he sat next to Choudary, surrounded by three dock officers and two suited police officers.

Both defendants smiled at each other and refused to stand as the chief magistrate Howard Riddle left the court. 

Before answering his police bail at Southwark police station this morning, Choudary was confident he would be rebailed and criticised the government's policy of cracking down on hate crime.

He said: 'The whole issue is about people supposedly preaching hate but there's so much hate preached by people, by the far right, by animal rights activists.

Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, 32, from east London (pictured) faced the same charge today

'If people have strong views why should they be curtailed? If you believe in freedom of expression then why should they be curtailed?

'The government talks about British values - but what are they? Fish and chips? God save the Queen? One of the 7/7 bombers worked in a chippie.' 

Sue Hemming, head of special crime and counter terrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's counter terrorism command, we have today authorised charges against Anjem Choudary and Mohammed Mizanur Rahman.

'We have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to prosecute Anjem Choudary and Mohammed Rahman for inviting support for ISIS.

'It is alleged that Anjem Choudary and Mohammed Rahman invited support for ISIS in individual lectures which were subsequently published online.' 

In a statement today, the police laid out the charges for both as: 'Between 29 June 2014 and 6 March 2015 invited support for a proscribed terrorist organisation, namely ISIL, also known as ISIS or the Islamic State, contrary to section 12 Terrorism Act 2000.' 

Choudary became well known globally after he refused to condemn the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks and supports the implementation of Sharia law across the UK. 

ISIS is a proscribed organisation which prevents Britons from encouraging support for it under the Terrorism Act. 

Choudary was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on August 28. 

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The 48-year-old from Ilford, north east London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court this afternoon

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He was arrested in September last year and the alleged offence are said to have happened between June 29, 2014 and March 6, this year

'SUPPORTING ISIS': WHAT THE CHARGE MEANS UNDER THE TERRORISM ACT

Under the Terrorism Act 2000, clause 12 'support', states:  

(1)A person commits an offence if—

(a)he invites support for a proscribed organisation, and

(b)the support is not, or is not restricted to, the provision of money or other property (within the meaning of section 15).

(2)A person commits an offence if he arranges, manages or assists in arranging or managing a meeting which he knows is—

(a)to support a proscribed organisation,

(b)to further the activities of a proscribed organisation, or

(c)to be addressed by a person who belongs or professes to belong to a proscribed organisation.

(3)A person commits an offence if he addresses a meeting and the purpose of his address is to encourage support for a proscribed organisation or to further its activities.

(4)Where a person is charged with an offence under subsection (2)(c) in respect of a private meeting it is a defence for him to prove that he had no reasonable cause to believe that the address mentioned in subsection (2)(c) would support a proscribed organisation or further its activities.

(5)In subsections (2) to (4)—

(a)'meeting' means a meeting of three or more persons, whether or not the public are admitted, and

(b)a meeting is private if the public are not admitted.

(6)A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, to a fine or to both, or

(b)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both.