Mohammad Bashir, 31, has been charged with four terrorism offences linked to the actions of Jihad Al-Shamie, the man responsible for a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed the charges, which include one count of preparation of terrorist acts and three counts of sharing terrorist publications.

Bashir is accused of assisting Al-Shamie in conducting reconnaissance of a UK defence facility prior to the attack. Al-Shamie, who was shot dead by armed police after his assault on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in October, killed two individuals and injured four others.

The CPS clarified that Bashir's alleged assistance was not directly related to the synagogue attack, which occurred five weeks ago. Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, stated, "Today, we have decided to prosecute Mohammad Bashir with terrorism offences – following a Counter Terrorism Policing North West investigation into his conduct linked to Jihad Al-Shamie."

Ferguson added that the evidence gathered was sufficient to support the charges against Bashir, who is also accused of sharing material online with the intent to encourage acts of terrorism.

Bashir is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. Al-Shamie, a university drop-out born in Syria, was granted British citizenship in 2006 after entering the UK as a child. At the time of the attack, he was on police bail for a separate allegation of rape.