Watching Purported James Foley Video May Trigger Charges in U.K. - NBC News.com

LONDON - British counterterrorism police warned on Wednesday it may be an offense under the country's terror laws to watch a video purportedly showing American journalist James Foley being beheaded by an Islamist fighter. London's Metropolitan Police, which handles terror offenses in the U.K., said it was investigating the footage appearing to show Foley’s killing at the hands of a militant from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The voice narrating the video speaks fluent English and the U.K.'s foreign secretary suggested he might be British.

In a statement, the police force said it was "investigating the contents of the video that was posted online in relation to the alleged murder of James Foley." It added: "We would like to remind the public that viewing, downloading or disseminating extremist material within the U.K. may constitute an offence under terrorism legislation."

- Alexander Smith

First published August 20 2014, 7:52 AM

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/james-foley/watching-purported-james-foley-video-may-trigger-charges-u-k-n184931