Two Men Charged With Spying on London Jewish Community for Iran in First Major National Security Act Prosecution

Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday facing charges of conducting hostile surveillance of the British Jewish community on behalf of Iran's intelligence services, in one of the most significant espionage prosecutions under the country's new National Security Act UK police charge 2 men with spying on the Jewish community for Iranapnews.com·SecondaryA sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, in London, Sept. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) LONDON (AP) — Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance last year of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran..

Nematollah Shahsavani, a 40-year-old dual British-Iranian national, and Alireza Farasati, a 22-year-old Iranian citizen, were charged on Wednesday evening with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between July 9 and August 15 last year . The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that the country to which the charges relate is Iran Two men charged with spying on UK Jewish communities for Iranpolitico.eu·SecondaryLONDON — Two men have been charged Wednesday evening with spying on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community on behalf of Iran. Nematollah Shahsavani, a 40-year-old dual British and Iranian national, and Alireza Farasati, a 22-year-old Iranian national, were charged under the National Security Act with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between July 9 and Aug. 15 last year. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the charges related to Iran..

The two men appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court before Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, who ordered both defendants detained until their next hearing at London's Central Criminal Court on April 17 . Neither defendant was asked to enter a plea during the proceedings, though lawyers for Farasati indicated he intends to contest the charge UK police charge 2 men with spying on the Jewish community for Iranabcnews.com·UnverifiedTwo men have appeared in a London court accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran LONDON -- Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance last year of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran..

Surveillance of Synagogues and the Israeli Embassy

Prosecution lawyer Louise Attrill told the court that the two defendants are suspected of assisting the Iranian intelligence service by carrying out hostile surveillance of locations and individuals connected to the Israeli and Jewish community in London . The targets allegedly included the Israeli embassy, a Jewish community center, a college, and what prosecutors described as Britain's oldest synagogue UK police charge 2 men with spying on the Jewish community for Iranabcnews.com·UnverifiedTwo men have appeared in a London court accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran LONDON -- Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance last year of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran..

Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, stated that the charges relate to activities including gathering information and undertaking reconnaissance of targets within the United Kingdom . Ferguson emphasized that the activities were assessed as likely to assist a foreign intelligence service in carrying out operations on British soil Two men charged with spying on UK Jewish communities for Iranpolitico.eu·SecondaryLONDON — Two men have been charged Wednesday evening with spying on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community on behalf of Iran. Nematollah Shahsavani, a 40-year-old dual British and Iranian national, and Alireza Farasati, a 22-year-old Iranian national, were charged under the National Security Act with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between July 9 and Aug. 15 last year. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the charges related to Iran..

The Metropolitan Police's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, who serves as senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, described the charges as extremely serious and the product of a highly complex investigation . Evans acknowledged that the Jewish community in particular would be concerned by the allegations but said the investigation should reassure them that authorities would not hesitate to act when threats to their safety were identified Two men charged with spying on UK Jewish communities for Iranpolitico.eu·SecondaryLONDON — Two men have been charged Wednesday evening with spying on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community on behalf of Iran. Nematollah Shahsavani, a 40-year-old dual British and Iranian national, and Alireza Farasati, a 22-year-old Iranian national, were charged under the National Security Act with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between July 9 and Aug. 15 last year. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the charges related to Iran..

A Broader Investigation

Shahsavani, who lives in North Finchley in north London, and Farasati, who resides in Edgware in northwest London, were initially arrested and detained on March 6 as part of a wider counter-terrorism investigation . Two other men, both British-Iranian nationals, were arrested on the same day but have since been released without charge .

The charges were brought under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, a relatively new piece of legislation that Parliament passed to strengthen the government's ability to prosecute espionage and foreign interference Two men charged with allegedly spying on London Jewish community for Irantheguardian.com·SecondaryMetropolitan police say men were arrested and detained as part of an investigation into alleged surveillance of locations Two men have been charged with spying for Iran over alleged surveillance of the Jewish community in London, police said. Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, a dual Iranian and British national, and Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian national, have both been charged with engaging in contact likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between 9 July and 15 August last year.. The Act replaced older provisions of the Official Secrets Act and introduced specific offences related to assisting foreign intelligence services.

The Community Security Trust, Britain's primary Jewish security organization, responded to the charges by noting that the prosecution indicated the seriousness of the threat faced by the community and explained why security levels remained elevated across Jewish institutions.

Iran's Expanding Covert Operations in Britain

The prosecution comes against a backdrop of mounting concern over Iran's intelligence activities on British soil. MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned in his most recent annual threat assessment, delivered in October, that his agency had tracked and disrupted more than 20 potentially lethal plots backed by Iran over the preceding twelve months UK police charge 2 men with spying on the Jewish community for Iranapnews.com·SecondaryA sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, in London, Sept. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) LONDON (AP) — Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance last year of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran.. McCallum had characterized the scope of Iranian covert activity as unprecedented, forcing MI5 to significantly expand its counter-Iran operations.

British intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that the Iranian regime has been intensifying efforts to conduct surveillance on, intimidate, and in some cases plot violence against individuals and communities it considers threats or targets of strategic interest. The Jewish community has been identified as particularly vulnerable given Iran's longstanding hostility toward Israel and its allies.

The timing of these charges is also notable given the broader geopolitical context. The ongoing military confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran has heightened concerns that Tehran might activate or accelerate covert operations in Western countries, either as retaliation or as intelligence-gathering for potential future attacks.

Europe-Wide Threat to Jewish Communities

The London case is far from isolated. Across the English Channel, a pattern of threats against Jewish communities has prompted extraordinary security measures in multiple European countries. Belgium has deployed its military to patrol approximately 20 Jewish sites nationwide after a recent attack on a synagogue in Liège, which was claimed by a group calling itself the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin stated that ensuring the safety of Jewish citizens was a fundamental duty of the state.

In France, authorities arrested two brothers in their twenties who were found with weapons and Islamic State insignia after flying a drone over a prison. Investigators subsequently uncovered what prosecutors described as a terror plot with a deadly and antisemitic character.

These incidents collectively paint a picture of an elevated and multi-faceted threat environment for Jewish communities across Europe, involving both state-sponsored intelligence operations from Iran and independent extremist plots inspired by various ideological strands.

What Comes Next

The case against Shahsavani and Farasati now moves to London's Central Criminal Court — commonly known as the Old Bailey — where the next hearing is scheduled for April 17 UK police charge 2 men with spying on the Jewish community for Iranapnews.com·SecondaryA sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, in London, Sept. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) LONDON (AP) — Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance last year of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran.. The prosecution's ability to present classified intelligence material in a criminal proceeding will be a key factor in determining the trajectory of the case.

For the British Jewish community, the charges offer a measure of validation that the security apparatus is taking the threat seriously. But they also serve as a sobering reminder that the danger is not hypothetical. The alleged surveillance reportedly took place over more than five weeks during the summer of 2025, suggesting a sustained and methodical operation rather than an opportunistic effort .

British authorities will likely face questions about whether the intelligence picture suggests additional operatives remain active, and what additional protective measures might be warranted for the institutions that were allegedly targeted. The case may also intensify calls for a broader diplomatic response to Iran's pattern of hostile intelligence activity on European soil.

The defendants remain in custody. Farasati, through his legal representatives, has signaled his intention to fight the charges UK police charge 2 men with spying on the Jewish community for Iranabcnews.com·UnverifiedTwo men have appeared in a London court accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran LONDON -- Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance last year of the U.K.’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran..