A “key campaigner” for the pro-Gaza MP who unseated Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth has been charged with a terrorism offence.

Police confirmed that Majid Novsarka, also known as Majid Freeman – a supporter of Shockat Adam, the new Leicester South MP – has been charged with encouragement of terrorism and supporting a proscribed organisation.

The 36-year-old has been released on bail, and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 24.

Mr Freeman was a vocal supporter of Mr Adam on social media, sharing numerous posts calling on people to unseat Mr Ashworth. 

During the election campaign, he also challenged the Labour big beast over his stance on Gaza, confronting him while he was out canvassing.

In a video posted by Mr Freeman on social media, the pro-Palestinian campaigner can be heard asking Mr Ashworth if he condemns Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and why he initially failed to back calls for a ceasefire in the Commons.

Mr Ashworth also recorded the confrontation, saying: “I’m not going to have these guys bully me off the street.”

Mr Freeman replied: “No one’s bullying you,”, insisting he had a “right to question” the Labour candidate. He added: “You’ve got the blood of Palestinian men, women and children on your hands… It’s a disgrace.”

Mr Freeman captioned the video with the comment: “Bumped into Labour MP @‌JonAshworth who was canvassing in Leicester.

“Elderly Muslim uncles who prev supported Jon came out to ask why he abstained from the [Palestinian] ceasefire vote so he restored to playing victim by saying we were bullying & intimidating him. We have every right to Q you.”

When Mr Adam won in Leicester South, Mr Freeman tweeted: “Remember this from the other week? @‌JonAshworth will be regretting this right now. The best man @‌ShockatAdam won and has now replaced him in Leicester South.”

Mr Ashworth’s loss to Mr Adam, a pro-Palestinian independent candidate, was one of Labour’s biggest shocks of the election.

The former shadow paymaster general has now called on Mr Adam to condemn the “key campaigner” and those organising demonstrations defending him.

Mr Ashworth told The Telegraph: “Mr Adam Patel has serious questions to answer about his association with this individual. Decent minded people across Leicester will expect their new MP to publicly and without equivocation provide a full account of all his dealings with this individual in the campaign.”

Lord Walney, the Government’s anti-Semitism tsar, described the news as “disturbing”.

It is unclear if Mr Freeman has any formal association with Mr Adam.

Mr Ashworth, who had been central to the Labour campaign, lost his Leicester South seat by around 1,000 votes to Mr Adam, who ran on a pro-Gaza ticket.

While Labour stormed to a landslide victory overall on July 4, the party haemorrhaged support in areas with among the highest proportions of Muslim voters.

It lost to four new independent MPs in Blackburn, Dewsbury and Batley, Birmingham Perry Barr and Leicester South, as well as to Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader and long-term supporter of the Palestinian cause, in Islington North.

It meant pro-Palestinian MPs have effectively become the sixth largest party in the Commons, on a par with Reform UK and the DUP, and outranking the Greens and Plaid Cymru.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Leicestershire Police said: “A man has been charged following a warrant being executed at an address in Cecil Road, Leicester, yesterday morning (Tues July 9).

“Majid Novsarka, also known as Majid Freeman, 36, of Cecil Road, Leicester, has been charged with encouragement of terrorism and supporting a proscribed organisation. He has been released on bail and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday July 24.”

Mr Freeman and Mr Adam have been approached for comment.