A 25-year-old Ukrainian man has been charged with the “terrorist-related” murder of Birmingham grandfather Mohammed Saleem, police say. Mr Saleem, 75, was stabbed as he walked home after prayers from a mosque in Green Lane, Small Heath, in April.
Pavlo Lapshyn, a student from Dnipropetrovsk, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. He was arrested following two explosions near West Midlands mosques. The 25-year-old is still being questioned by detectives investigating the blasts near the mosques in Walsall and Tipton, and a third in Wolverhampton, between 22 June and 12 July.
Mr Lapshyn, who has been in the UK on a temporary work placement since 24 April, was initially arrested on Thursday. He was arrested again on suspicion of the murder of Mr Saleem on Saturday.
Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, from West Midlands Police, urged anyone with any information to contact the force. Mr Beale said:
“We understand that these incidents have caused a great deal of anxiety and distress within local communities and I want to thank them for the way they have dealt with the developments and the assistance they have given my officers. For the family who lost a beloved grandfather it has been a particularly difficult time and we will continue to support them.”