Labour MP hosted man charged with being part of banned PKK group in parliament

A Labour MP hosted a antheral astatine the centre of a panic radical probe successful parliament conscionable weeks earlier his arrest, Sky News tin reveal.

Agit Karatas is 1 of six radical who were charged connected Tuesday with being members of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) aft an probe by counter-terrorism constabulary successful London.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party, known arsenic the PKK, has been a proscribed organisation since 2001 for its advocation of Kurdish self-rule done some governmental and equipped struggle.

Karatas, a 23-year-old Kurdish rights campaigner, is portion of the Centre for Kurdish Progress, a long-established radical with links to MPs.

In October this year, helium was fixed entree to the parliamentary property for the archetypal gathering of a caller All-Party Parliamentary Group, the APPG connected Kurds, chaired by Labour MP for Exeter, Steve Race.

The radical is cross-party, with parliamentarians from crossed the governmental spectrum listed arsenic members.

In attendance astatine the gathering were Labour's archetypal Kurdish MP and subject curate Feryal Clark, Labour MP Afzal Khan, Independent MP Shockat Adam and Lord Michael Cashman.

Addressing the room, Karatas said the APPG would put for "a delegation to Iraq and Syria upon which MPs and UK officials tin conscionable officials successful the Kurdistan portion of Iraq and successful North East Syria".

He was besides linked to a erstwhile APPG connected Kurdistan successful Turkey and Syria, which was chaired by erstwhile Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle.

His entree to parliament is via the Centre for Kurdish Progress, founded by Ibrahim Dogus, who is well-known successful Westminster done the yearly kebab awards, which is often attended by high-profile governmental figures.

Mr Dogus is besides a Labour councillor who has stood arsenic a parliamentary campaigner doubly for the party, successful 2017 and 2019.

Karatas was 1 of 2 women and 4 men charged connected Tuesday with being PKK members aft being arrested and detained nether the Terrorism Act 2000 connected 27 November.

Sky News approached Mr Race and the Labour Party but they declined to comment.