Five arrested over mosque replica bonfire in County Tyrone

Five men were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the placement of a replica mosque atop a bonfire in County Tyrone last month, an incident police described as a hate-motivated criminal offence. The arrests by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) come amid heightened concerns over anti-Muslim incitement and violence in the region.

The investigation centers on a controversial bonfire in Moygashel, County Tyrone, where a model of a mosque was positioned on a large pyre ahead of the annual Twelfth of July loyalist Protestant celebrations. The display was accompanied by signs bearing messages including "secure our borders" and "end the threat of radical Islam." The PSNI launched a significant operation to remove the replica, determining that criminal material had been placed on the pyre. However, before officers could complete the removal, the bonfire was set alight a day early. Chief Superintendent Norman Haslett stated at the time that the bonfire was ignited prematurely "to prevent removal of the criminal material."

On Tuesday morning, detectives in Mid Ulster arrested three men, aged 27, 38, and 51, following searches at properties in the Moygashel area. Two further...