Illia Bilyk has been charged with five counts of racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage after various Muslim venues in East London were targeted in January 2025
A 21-year-old man has been charged with racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage following a series of graffiti attacks targeting Muslim organisations and venues in Leyton and Stratford last January.
Illia Bilyk has been charged with five counts of racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage following an investigation by detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s North East Command Unit.
The charges relate to incidents at five locations. Offensive graffiti was sprayed on Stratford Islamic Association in Brydges Road, Stratford, and Al-Birr Mosque in Church Road, Leyton, on 23rd January 2025. Leyton Jamia Masjid on High Road was also targeted that day.
Two further incidents took place on 25th January, when Noor Ul Islam Primary School in Dawlish Road and the Islamic Shariah Council in Francis Road were targeted.
The incidents caused concern among Muslim communities across east London, with local politicians and community leaders condemning the vandalism.
At the time, Leyton and Wanstead MP Calvin Bailey described the attacks as “appalling racist vandalism”, saying they did not reflect the local community.
In a comment piece for the Echo last year the MP noted that the Met was investigating links between these acts of vandalism and a Russia-linked Telegram channel that was offering cryptocurrency payments to encourage violent attacks on Muslim communities.
Chief Superintendent Rhona Hunt, who leads policing in the area, said the incidents had caused “significant distress” and continued to cause concern.
She said police were committed to tackling hate crime and urged anyone who had experienced or witnessed anti-Muslim hate crime to report it.
Bilyk is due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 17 September.
Read more: Fighting ‘Russia linked’ hate on our streets and Police investigate Islamophobic graffiti sprayed on Leyton mosques
Local news needs your support
We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.
Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.
If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.
ACT NOW!
Monthly direct debit
Annual direct debit
£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.
More information on supporting us monthly or annually
More Information about donations
