Scottish authorities have charged a man in connection with a series of attacks in Edinburgh that left five people injured, in an incident that has drawn strong political condemnation in the United Kingdom.
Police Scotland confirmed that a 36-year-old white Scottish man was arrested following the Friday night incidents and stated that there is no further threat to the public.
“A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a number of incidents which took place in Edinburgh on Friday, June 19, 2026,” police said in a statement, adding that a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal and the suspect will appear in court in due course.
Authorities said they received multiple emergency calls reporting violent attacks involving threats, robbery and vandalism across Edinburgh, during which five men were injured.
The victims, aged between 22 and 39, sustained various injuries. Three were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening conditions, while the case is now being handled by counter-terrorism units alongside other police teams.
Footage circulating online allegedly showed a bare-chested man, believed to be the suspect, moving through streets with a large weapon prior to his arrest.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attacks, stating that the suspect “appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred” and pledged that he would face the full force of the law.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney also expressed concern, stressing that violence, racism and intolerance have no place in society.
Rights groups, including the Scottish Association of Mosques and Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), said some of the victims were believed to be Muslim and urged authorities to treat the case as a possible hate-motivated attack.
MEND also cited alleged online footage in which the suspect was seen shouting anti-Muslim statements, calling for the case to be treated as Islamophobic far-right terrorism.
Police confirmed that some of the attacks began near a mosque in west Edinburgh before continuing in other areas, with officers eventually confronting and arresting the suspect.
The incident comes amid rising tensions in the UK over immigration and social cohesion, following a series of recent violent and politically charged incidents in different parts of the country.
