Two individuals are facing charges for allegedly spying on locations and individuals associated with the Jewish community on behalf of Iran. Nematollah Shahsavani, aged 40, and Alireza Farasati, aged 22, are accused of engaging in activities that could aid a foreign intelligence service between July 9 and August 15 last year in London, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The charges, classified as offenses under the National Security Act, are linked to Iran.
Shahsavani, a dual national of Iran and Britain residing in north Finchley, and Farasati, an Iranian national living in Edgware, are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, March 19.
The charges stem from a Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London investigation into alleged surveillance of sites and individuals connected to the Jewish community in the London area. The inquiry resulted in the apprehension of four men, including Shahsavani and Farasati, on March 6. The other two individuals were released without facing charges.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for CTP, emphasized the gravity of the charges under the National Security Act and the complexity of the investigation. She reassured the public, especially the Jewish community, of the authorities’ commitment to ensuring safety and holding accountable those posing potential threats.
Public concerns can be reported to local policing teams or through national reporting channels such as www.gov.uk/ACT, according to Evans. Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, highlighted the decision to prosecute Shahsavani and Farasati for activities that could assist a foreign intelligence service, emphasizing the need for fair trial proceedings without any prejudicial reporting or sharing of information online.