A gunman shot and killed British MP Jo Cox in the street on 16th June 2016, before being restrained. David Amess was one of dozens who paid tribute to her after the attack.
British MP David Amess was killed in a car crash on June 7th. His death comes just months before the UK is set to leave the European Union and it will be an emotional day in parliament when MPs pay tribute to him.
LONDON— On Monday, parliamentarians gathered in the House of Commons to pray and pay homage to their colleague David Amess, who was murdered in a suspected terrorist assault.
Many lawmakers wore black to the debating chamber for a minute of grief before spending hours honoring the life of the 69-year-old legislator who was stabbed to death while visiting with constituents on Friday.
“Sir David was snatched from us in a despicable act of violence, striking at the heart of what it means to be a member of this house,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a speech to the House of Commons. “We will not let the manner in which Sir David died distract from his achievements.”
Meanwhile, police continue to interview a suspect being detained under the Terrorism Act in the United Kingdom. Officials said the suspect is Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old British national whose father worked as a spokesperson for a former Somali prime minister. The police have until Friday to file charges against the suspect, who has yet to be identified.
According to authorities, the additional time is being used by the police to put together how the 25-year-old British man fell under the sway of Islamic militants and why he targeted Mr. Amess.
On Monday, lawmakers in the House of Commons celebrated a minute of silence in honor of David Amess.
Getty Images/Handout/Agence France-Presse
According to a source acquainted with Ali Harbi Ali’s background, he was referred to a program aimed at de-radicalizing at-risk persons some years ago and was given a mentor. However, since the program is optional, he no longer participates, according to this source.
On Friday late afternoon, Mr. Johnson will join legislators in a church to commemorate Mr. Amess’s life. Mr. Amess was praised by politicians in parliament for his generosity and warmth, particularly in supporting younger members of the House of Commons.
Mr. Amess, a fervent Catholic, was well-known for his anti-abortion and pro-marriage stances. He also funded the Iranian opposition organization, the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, or MEK, which seeks to destabilize the Iranian government. He was also a strong supporter of animal rights.
Several MPs remembered lovingly his long-running battle to get his district’s town of Southend-on-Sea designated as a city. Mr. Johnson said on Monday that Queen Elizabeth had decided to acknowledge Southend as a city, although in a mostly symbolic manner.
“No one should die in such a manner. In a statement published by the police on Sunday, Mr. Amess’s family stated, “Nobody.” “Please, please, please let something positive come out of this tragedy.” His family put flowers at the Methodist church where he was murdered on Monday.
On Saturday, counterterrorism police searched two London houses but found no further suspects in connection with Mr. Amess’s death, which was the second in five years that a British legislator was killed in a violent assault while appearing in public.
On Sunday, police investigators stood outside a residence in north London related to a suspect in the murder of David Amess.
James Manning/Zuma Press photo
The incident has sparked concerns about the government’s ability to deal with lone-wolf attacks. According to Mr. Johnson’s spokeswoman, politicians should continue to meet with people in person if they feel safe doing so. A study of legislative security measures is in underway.
Last year, the government said that MI5, the country’s domestic intelligence service, was examining 3,000 radicals in 600 separate investigations. However, MI5 estimates there remains a pool of roughly 40,000 individuals who, although no longer posing a direct danger, may become active terrorists again in the future.
Last month, the director general of MI5, the UK’s domestic intelligence agency, said that 31 late-stage terrorist operations had been stopped in the United Kingdom during the previous four years. The terror danger level in the United Kingdom is now “substantial,” indicating that an incident is probable. This is, however, two notches below the highest danger level.
The government of the United Kingdom has been undertaking an assessment of its deradicalization program, which will be released soon.
Max Colchester and Isabel Coles may be reached at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively.
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