Two men charged with allegedly spying on London Jewish community for Iran | UK news

Two men have been charged with spying for Iran for allegedly spying on London’s Jewish community, police said.

Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, a dual British-Iranian national, and Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian national, were charged with having contact likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between July 9, 2025 and August 15, 2025, contrary to Article 3 of the National Security Act 2023.

They were arrested on March 6 following a counter-terrorism investigation. They will appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on Thursday.

Met deputy commissioner Vicki Evans, senior national co-ordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “These are extremely serious charges that arise following a very complex investigation under the National Security Act.

“Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock to collect and evaluate evidence and we have been in close contact with our colleagues at the CPS to get to this point.

“We are fully aware that the public, particularly the Jewish community, will be concerned, but I hope this investigation reassures them that we will not hesitate to take action if we detect a threat to their safety.”

Two people who were arrested on March 6 within the scope of the investigation were released pending trial.