A 43-year-old British man has appeared in court accused of playing a leadership role in the Somali militant Islamist group al-Shabab – an organisation that has been linked to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
Jermaine Grant is charged with directing the activities of al-Shabab more than 16 years ago in the late 2000s.
The allegation is that he became a platoon commander.
Al-Shabab was labelled a “persistent threat” in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, which carries out “high profile attacks that challenge government authority”, according to a 2025 assessment by the UK Government.