Three Iranian nationals appear in court in the UK charged with national security offenses
By Caitlin Danaher, CNN
(CNN) — Three Iranian nationals have appeared in court after police in the UK charged them with national security offenses following a counterterror investigation.
The three men, arrested on May 3, have been charged with “engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service,” namely Iran, between August 14, 2024 and February 16, 2025, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement Saturday.
The men, aged between 39 and 55, have been named by police as Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori.
They have been charged with engaging in surveillance and reconnaissance, with one man charged with the intention of committing “serious violence against a person in the United Kingdom,” the statement outlined.
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service charged the men on Friday, and they appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday. The investigation is being led by the British counterterrorism police.
Commander Dominic Murphy, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act, which have come about following what has been a very complex and fast-moving investigation.”
A fourth man, aged 31, who was arrested on May 9, has been released without charge.
Iran has labeled the arrests “unjustified” and on Sunday summoned the British ambassador for an explanation, Iran’s state-run media reported.
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This article has been updated with additional information.
