Key facts
- Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, has been charged with terrorism offenses.
- Bashir is alleged to have driven the synagogue attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, to survey a UK defense facility.
- Al-Shamie was killed by police after attacking the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
- Bashir pleaded guilty to one count of preparation for acts of terrorism.
- A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 2026.
A man has been charged with terrorism offenses in connection with the attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester last year. Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, has pleaded guilty to one count of preparation for acts of terrorism and faces sentencing in July.
Bashir, who is alleged to have been an associate of the attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, is accused of driving Al-Shamie to conduct hostile reconnaissance of a UK defense facility on August 14, 2025. Al-Shamie was shot dead by police after carrying out the attack on the synagogue on October 2, 2025, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
While Bashir was not directly involved in the synagogue attack, his actions are considered serious due to his association with Al-Shamie and the reconnaissance mission. He was also charged with three counts of disseminating terrorism publications. The investigation into the synagogue attack itself remains ongoing.
Bashir was arrested at Manchester Airport on November 27, 2025. He appeared at the Central Criminal Court on June 5, 2026, where he entered his guilty plea. A sentencing hearing has been set for July 22-23, 2026, at Manchester Crown Court.