The 33-year-old was detained in north Belfast on Monday.

He appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court this morning and was formally charged with encouraging terrorism and supporting a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act.

Detectives also searched a property in north Belfast and one in Lurgan as part of the same investigation.

The charges relate to comments he made on Easter Sunday during a speech at a republican commemoration in Co Armagh.

Fennell was remanded in custody to Maghaberry Prison until next month.

During his speech, Fennell said accused the “totally unaccountable”PSNI and MI5 of “targeting and intimidation of republicans”.

“Former comrades involvement with these agencies and their promotion of the agendas within republican areas is collaboration, treachery and an act of surrender on their part as they assimilate themselves in the corrupt state structures.

“The only welcome the IRA ever gave a member of the British Royal Family was delivered on a boat off the coast of Sligo.

“They will never break our prisoners. They are wrong and they will fail.

He said Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton, jailed for the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll, were ‘political hostages’ who were “wrongly incarcerated and should be released immediately.

“The armed struggle must be a contributory factor in the wider struggle.

“Armed struggle in 2015 remains a legitimate act of resistance.

“We are occupied by a foreign government , a foreign army and her agencies. The use of armed struggle to oppose this is our right a fundamental principle that cannot and will not be abandoned by activists involved in our struggle.

“This in my opinion must be matched by a commitment of those involved in armed struggle to engage in a focused way that advances strategic republican objectives.

“The decisive thing is not the military confrontation but the politics at stake in the confrontation.

“The IRA has demonstrated its increasing military capacity and sophistication in recent years.

“These allow republicans to articulate  In short,  so will the Irish Republican Army.

“Maire Drumm said it was not to shout Up the IRA, the important was to join the IRA.

“When you leave here today, ask yourself is it enough to support republicanism or could you be a more active republican. Are you willing to assist a movement that will bring us freedom.

“Let us cry out we will not accept British Rule, we will not accept native capitalist rule, we will not accept occupation or partition, we don’t accept your quisling assembly, armies or police force.

“We will not accept anything less than a socialist republic.”