Man on Trial for Online Terrorism Support

0:00A 38-year-old man from Lester, named Majid Freeman, is on trial for encouraging terrorism and inviting support for the band group Hamas. He told jurors at Birmingham Crown Court, he's not a Hamas supporter and denies all charges under the Terrorism Act. Prosecutors say his social media posts on Twitter, Instagram, and Telegram push for attacks like the Charlie Hebdo incident and back to Hamas. Freeman explained he visited Gaza in 2012 and 2013 to deliver sports gear for orphans and medical aid to hospitals. He used to work in online charity fundraising for emergency projects there and picked the online name Freeman to speak freely to his 58,000 followers. In court on April 28, he described himself as a practicing Muslim who believes in helping the needy, democracy, and transparency on social media. He said he never hid his tracks online and sees exchanges there as just back and forth debates. Freeman stressed every Palestinian has the right to defend themselves, even with force,

1:01but he doesn't back Hamas as a group. He accused mainstream journalists of bias and said no civilian should ever be harmed, no matter their faith. The trial keeps rolling with more testimony ahead, shedding light on how online words cross into legal lines during heated global conflicts. I'm Corey with The Story and you've been listening to Lester News today, AI-powered local news.