An alleged member of banned UK Neo-Nazi group National Action has appeared in court charged with encouraging the murder of a British lawmaker, the UK Press Association reported Friday.
Christopher Lythgoe, 31, was charged with “encouragement to murder” after allegedly giving the green light for a fellow member to murder Labour Member of Parliament Rosie Cooper.
A 22-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with “the intention of committing acts of terrorism contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 and threats to kill.”
The charge, reported by the Press Association, states that the 22-year-old bought a “Gladius Machete” for the purpose of attacking Cooper between June 5 and July 3 2017.
He is also accused of making threats to murder a female police officer on July 1.
The two men are facing a further charge of “belonging to a proscribed organisation” contrary to the Terrorism Act, along with four others who appeared alongside them.
The six were remanded in custody before a pre-trial hearing at London’s Old Bailey on November 3.
In a statement issued earlier, Cooper thanked the police for “keeping me, my staff and the public safe.”
“There remains an ongoing criminal investigation so it would not be appropriate for me to comment further,” she added.
Banned group
National Action became the first far-right group to be banned under Britain’s terror laws in December 2016. It is a criminal offense in the UK to be a member of the organization.
At the time it was proscribed, British Home Secretary Amber Rudd said, “National Action is a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organization which stirs up hatred, glorifies violence and promotes a vile ideology, and I will not stand for it.
“It has absolutely no place in a Britain that works for everyone.”
According to the British Home Office’s report into proscribed terror groups, National Action is “virulently racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic.”
The group came to prominence when far-right extremist Thomas Mair murdered British Member of Parliament Jo Cox in 2016.
