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Four due to face terrorism charges
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Four men are due to appear in court charged with terrorism offences following counter-terror raids.
Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit detained the men earlier this week in what was described as a "low key operation".
Israr Malik, 21, of Bowdon Avenue, Fallowfield, is charged with intending to commit acts of terrorism, namely violent jihad, between June 2008 and November 17 this year.
Matthew Newton, 27, of Rydal Walk, Stalybridge, Munir Farooqi, 52, of Victoria Terrace, Longsight, and Haris Farooqi, 26, of Stockport Road, Levenshulme, are accused of intending to assist others to commit acts of terrorism, namely violent jihad, between October 2008 and November 17 this year.
All four are due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London.
Munir Farooqi, who is the father of Haris Farooqi, was also charged with three counts of soliciting or encouraging another to murder on three separate dates - July 6, October 15 and October 16 this year.
The arrests by unarmed officers followed a 15-month investigation into alleged terrorist activity overseas. Newton was reported to have previously run a clothing business with the son of the former Celebrity Big Brother winner Bez, of the Happy Mondays band.
Shaykh Asif Hussain Farooqui, 62, from Deane, Bolton, understood to be a Muslim cleric, was released without charge. Later, he said he had always maintained his innocence.
Up to 2,000 people signed online petitions which called for his release. He is a member of the Al Rahman Mosque in Daubhill.
Campaigners expressed their "outrage" that the "well-respected figure" in the Muslim community in Bolton had been detained. Some protested outside Greater Manchester Police's headquarters hours before he was released. He is not related to any of the charged men.
