Man Denies Birmingham Mosque Attacks

12 September 2019, 17:14 | Updated: 12 September 2019, 17:15

A 34-year-old man has denied causing at least £11,500 worth of damage to five mosques which had doors and windows smashed during a series of attacks on the same day.

Arman Rezazadeh indicated not guilty pleas to five charges of racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage, all said to have been committed on March 21, when he appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

A district judge was told the charges relate to damage to Witton Islamic Centre, the Al-Habib Trust, and the Jamia Masjid Ghausia, all in the Aston area, as well as the Masjid Madrassa Faizul Islam in Perry Barr and the Jam-E-Masjid Qiblah Hadhrat Sahib Gulhar Shareef in Erdington.

Rezazadeh, of Greenhill Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, spoke to indicate his pleas, to give his address and to confirm his nationality as Iranian.

An application to withhold his address from publication was withdrawn by his solicitor after legal submissions.

The defendant was granted bail to appear at Birmingham Crown Court for a further hearing on October 10.