nick
January 28th, 2011, 03:41 AM
Two men are due to appear in court charged with stirring up hatred due to sexual orientation in the first such case in Britain.
Razwan Javed, 30, and Kabir Ahmed, 27, are to appear before magistrates in Derby accused of handing out leaflets calling for homosexuals to be executed.
It is the first prosecution since laws outlawing homophobia came into force last March.
The pair were yesterday (THURS) charged with distributing the leaflet, titled “The Death Penalty?”, outside the Jamia Mosque in Derby in July last year.
They are also accused of placing the leaflets through local letterboxes during the same month, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
The pair, who were arrested after a tip-off from the public, have been charged with distributing threatening written material intending to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.
They face a maximum sentence of seven years’ jail and and/or an unlimited fine if convicted at a crown court. No other details of the offences were released.
"We have... authorised Derbyshire Police to charge Razwan Javed, 30, and Kabir Ahmed, 27, with one count each of distributing threatening written material intending to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation," said CPS lawyer Sue Hemming.
"The charges relate to the distribution of a leaflet, 'The Death Penalty?', outside the Jamia Mosque in Derby in July 2010 and through letterboxes during the same month.
"This is the first ever prosecution for this offence and it is the result of close working between the Crown Prosecution Service and Derbyshire Police."
“Following complaints from the public, Derbyshire Police mounted a thorough investigation.”
She added: “We have carefully reviewed the evidence provided by the police and are satisfied that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge these men.”
The Public Order Act 1986 was amended by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
Source (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8287553/Pair-charged-with-calling-for-gay-excutions-in-first-criminal-case-in-Britain.html)
Razwan Javed, 30, and Kabir Ahmed, 27, are to appear before magistrates in Derby accused of handing out leaflets calling for homosexuals to be executed.
It is the first prosecution since laws outlawing homophobia came into force last March.
The pair were yesterday (THURS) charged with distributing the leaflet, titled “The Death Penalty?”, outside the Jamia Mosque in Derby in July last year.
They are also accused of placing the leaflets through local letterboxes during the same month, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
The pair, who were arrested after a tip-off from the public, have been charged with distributing threatening written material intending to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.
They face a maximum sentence of seven years’ jail and and/or an unlimited fine if convicted at a crown court. No other details of the offences were released.
"We have... authorised Derbyshire Police to charge Razwan Javed, 30, and Kabir Ahmed, 27, with one count each of distributing threatening written material intending to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation," said CPS lawyer Sue Hemming.
"The charges relate to the distribution of a leaflet, 'The Death Penalty?', outside the Jamia Mosque in Derby in July 2010 and through letterboxes during the same month.
"This is the first ever prosecution for this offence and it is the result of close working between the Crown Prosecution Service and Derbyshire Police."
“Following complaints from the public, Derbyshire Police mounted a thorough investigation.”
She added: “We have carefully reviewed the evidence provided by the police and are satisfied that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge these men.”
The Public Order Act 1986 was amended by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
Source (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8287553/Pair-charged-with-calling-for-gay-excutions-in-first-criminal-case-in-Britain.html)