Man, 49, charged with threats to kill Koran burner
A man that allegedly threatened to behead another man who set a Koran alight has been remanded in custody.
Muhammad Naasir Attaari is accused of telling an employee in an Asda store that he would behead Hamit Coskun, who burned the Muslim holy book outside the Turkish consulate earlier this year.
The 49-year-old was reported by the Asda employee.
Mr Attaari wore a white Islamic skull cap and black hoodie in court, with a long grey-and-black beard.
Westminster magistrates' court heard he is charged with threatening to kill Coskun, who shouted abusive comments about Islam and burned a Koran outside the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge, central London, in February.
Mr Attaari is also charged with three counts of possessing a bladed article in a public place.
Coskun, 50, was convicted at the same court earlier this month of a religiously aggravated public order offence of using disorderly conduct, and fined a total of £336.
Coskun, who is Kurdish and Armenian, was said to have travelled from his home in Derby to set fire to the Muslim holy book.
In a statement released following his court case, he said his conviction had been 'an assault on free speech, and will deter others from exercising their democratic rights'.
Mr Attaari, who the court heard is originally from the Blackburn area of Lancashire, entered no pleas at the hearing and his case was sent to Isleworth Crown Court.
Prosecutor Rizwan Amin told the court: 'With regard to the threats to kill, it has taken place at an Asda store.
'A member of staff approached him and interacted with this defendant.
'On one particular occasion, there was dialogue between both parties, in particular that someone had burned a Koran, the holy book.'
District Judge John Zani asked about the intended victim of the alleged threat.
'It's somebody who was in the news,' Mr Amin continued. 'He is not known [to the defendant].'
The court heard that police visited Mr Attaari's address in Northolt and were about to leave, as he wasn't in, when the defendant arrived home and approached officers.
Remanding Mr Attaari into custody until his next appearance at Isleworth Crown Court on July 10, Judge Zani told him: 'You face a number of serious offences too serious to be dealt with in this court.'
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