Britain charges two men with spying on Jewish sites for Iran
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A protester holding an image of former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei as they gather to mark Al Quds Day in London on March 15.
PHOTO: EPA
LONDON – British prosecutors said they had charged two men with spying for Iran by carrying out surveillance of people and locations linked to the Jewish community, as part of an investigation that began before the conflict in the Middle East.
Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, a dual Iranian-British national, and Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian national, were charged following an investigation into their actions in north London over five weeks in July and August 2025.
British lawmakers and the domestic spy agency MI5 have long warned of threats posed to Britain by Iran, with a number of arrests made and plots discovered in recent years, before the US-Israeli military campaign began almost three weeks ago.
Counter Terrorism Police senior national coordinator Vicki Evans said the investigation should reassure Jewish communities that the police would act on any threats to their safety.
“These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act, which have come about following what has been a very complex investigation,” she said in a statement.
The two men had been arrested and detained earlier in March and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 19.
The police said two other men arrested as part of that raid had been released without charge. REUTERS
