Briton, 43, is charged with directing activities of Islamist terror group Al-Shabaab in Somalia

A British man has been charged with directing the activities of an Islamist terror group based in Somalia and attending a commando training camp.

Jermaine Grant, 43, is accused of being linked to Al-Shabaab, the Metropolitan Police said.

Grant, whose address was given in court as HMP Frankland, allegedly directed activities between December 31, 2007 and January 1, 2010.

He was also charged with three counts of attending a camp in Kismayu in Somalia, contrary to Section 8 of the Terrorism Act 2006, and two counts of possession of an article, namely an AK47 firearm for terrorist purposes, contrary to Section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The charges follow an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London .

Acting Commander Kris Wright said: “These are serious charges and come as the result of a long-running investigation.

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“This case shows we will always pursue anyone suspected of being involved in terrorist activity, no matter where in the world or how long ago it is alleged to have taken place.”
Grant will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning.

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter terrorism division, said: “We have decided to prosecute Jermaine Grant with directing the activities of a terrorist organisation, three counts of attending a place for terrorist purposes and two counts of possession of an article for terrorist purposes.

“The charges relate to Mr Grant’s alleged involvement in 2008 and 2009 with Al-Shabaab, a terrorist organisation operating in Somalia.

“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.

“We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police ’s Counter Terrorism Command as it carried out its investigation.

“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.

“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Al-Shabaab is an Islamist armed group that has been linked to al Qaida.

The organisation 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.

It has targeted international aid workers, journalists, business people and non-government organisations who have opposed or resisted it.

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for high-profile attacks outside of Somalia, including the 2019 attack on Nairobi’s DusitD2 luxury hotel complex that left 21 people dead, the 2015 shooting at Garissa University in northern Kenya which killed 147 students, and the 2013 attack that killed 67 people at Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mall.