James Matthews, 43, is to appear in court on February 14 to face a charge of attending a place used for terrorist training, under the Terrorism Act 2006, the Metropolitan Police said

AhlulBayt News Agency - A British man who fought against the so-called Islamic State is to be charged with a terror offence in what is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.



James Matthews, 43, is to appear in court on February 14 to face a charge of attending a place used for terrorist training, under the Terrorism Act 2006, the Metropolitan Police said.



In March 2017, a Jim Matthews was a signatory of an "open letter from British YPG fighters on London attacks" posted on a Kurdish news website.



In it they urged people not to give in to extremism of any kind following the attacks in Westminster, London Bridge and Manchester.



A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said Matthews had been "requisitioned to appear" in court on Valentine's Day.







She said: "James Matthews, a UK national, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 14 February to be formally charged with attending a place or places in Iraq and Syria where instruction or training was provided for purposes connected to the commission or preparation of terrorism on or before 15 February 2016 under Section 8 of the Terrorism Act 2006."



British fighters have travelled to Syria to fight ISIS with the YPG, which is mostly made up of Kurdish militia forces.







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