Man denies attacking Birmingham mosques causing £11K damage

A 34-year-old Birmingham man has denied causing damages worth approximately £11,500 to five mosques in a series of attacks in March.

Arman Rezazadeh indicated not guilty pleas to charges of racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage. The charges related to damage to Witton Islamic Centre, the Al-Habib Trust, and the Jamia Masjid Ghausia, all in the Aston area, as well as the Masjid Madrassa Faizul Islam in Perry Barr and the Jam-E-Masjid Qiblah Hadhrat Sahib Gulhar Shareef in Erdington.

The defendant was granted bail to appear at Birmingham Crown Court for a further hearing on October 10.

Rezazadeh was originally detained under the Mental Health Act, but was later deemed fit to face legal proceedings.

Officers first received reports of vandalism at Al-Habib Trust in Birchfield Road in Aston at 2.32 am on March 21. They then attended a second attack at the Ghousia Mosque in Slade Road, Erdington, at 3.14 am. Police came across further damage to Witton Islamic Centre in Witton Road, Aston, and Masjid Madrassa Faizal Islam on Broadway in Perry Barr.

At 10.04am, officers responded to a smashed window at Jamia Mosque on Albert Road, Aston.

A spokesperson for Witton Islamic Centre said CCTV captured a man smashing windows at about 01:30. "The whole of the front windows, about six, were smashed," he said.

"Because of the force he used it's gone through the windows and into the mosque itself".

Investigators said the vandalism in Birmingham was not terror-related or motivated by right-wing extremism.

“West Midlands Police have conducted a thorough investigation and continue to work in partnership with mosques around the West Midlands to offer reassurance to our communities,” a spokesperson added.

At the time, then home secretary Sajid Javid called the vandalism "deeply concerning and distressing". MP for Birmingham Ladywood Shabana Mahmood said the attacks were "truly terrible".