Two men deny Iran-backed surveillance of Jewish and Israeli sites in London

Two men have denied allegations that they carried out surveillance of Jewish and Israeli sites across London on behalf of Iran's intelligence service. The case was heard at the Old Bailey, where prosecutors say the activity amounted to hostile reconnaissance under the National Security Act 2023. The alleged targets included the Israeli embassy, the Israeli consulate, a college and Britain's oldest synagogue.

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The defendants are Nematollah Shahsavani, 41, and Alireza Farasati, 22. Both entered not guilty pleas during a hearing on Friday. Shahsavani appeared by video link from HMP Pentonville, while Farasati appeared in the dock in person.

Prosecutors allege the pair carried out the surveillance between 9 July and 15 August last year. Court details heard that police confiscated electronic devices from Farasati when he was stopped on 14 August last year. Shahsavani is accused of directing Farasati to monitor and gather intelligence on London's Jewish and Israeli communities.

Shahsavani, who works as a car salesman and delivery driver, is described as a dual British-Iranian national and father of two from North Finchley in north London. Farasati is an Iranian national living in Colindale, north-west London, and arrived in Britain as a 17-year-old in 2021. The allegations are significant because they involve claims of foreign intelligence activity directed at sensitive sites in the British capital.

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Cases brought under the National Security Act 2023 are designed to address conduct said to assist hostile states, and this prosecution places the focus on alleged surveillance rather than an attack. The inclusion of Jewish and Israeli locations also gives the case wider security and community sensitivity. The hearing comes against a backdrop of heightened concern in many European capitals about espionage, surveillance and the protection of diplomatic and religious sites.

In this case, prosecutors say the alleged reconnaissance was carried out on behalf of Iran's intelligence service, though the defendants have denied the charges. The court has not yet tested the evidence in full, but the allegations already point to a case with diplomatic and domestic security implications. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb set a further pre-trial hearing for 12 February, with a full trial due to begin at the Old Bailey on 26 April next year.

Both men, who were detained in March, remain in custody. What remains unclear is how prosecutors will present the alleged chain of direction and what weight the court will give to the electronic devices seized from Farasati. The case is expected to move forward over the coming months as the evidence is examined in detail.

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