A man has been charged with five offences following a series of incidents in which offensive graffiti was allegedly sprayed on Muslim organisations and venues across east London.
Illia Bilyk, 21, of Field Road, E7, has been charged with five counts of racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage following an investigation by detectives from the Metropolitan Police‘s North East Command Unit.
The charges relate to alleged incidents at Stratford Islamic Association in Brydges Road, Stratford; Al-Birr Mosque in Church Road, Leyton; and Leyton Jamia Masjid in High Road, Leyton, on 23 January 2025.
Further alleged incidents took place at Noor Ul Islam Primary School in Dawlish Road and the Islamic Shariah Council in Francis Road, both in Leyton, on 25 January 2025.
Bilyk is due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 17 September.
Chief Superintendent Rhona Hunt, who leads policing in the area, said: “We recognise that these incidents caused significant distress within Muslim communities across east London last year and that they continue to cause concern.
“Anti-Muslim hate Crime and Islamophobia have absolutely no place in London. We are committed to tackling hate crime while supporting and reassuring our communities.
“We would encourage anyone with concerns, or who has experienced or witnessed anti-Muslim hate crime, to contact police and report it.”
The charges are allegations and the case is now subject to court proceedings.
