Two men charged with ‘spying on UK Jewish community’ for Iran
The two men were accused of spying on behalf of Iran on places and people with connections to the Jewish community.
Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, a dual Iranian and British citizen, was accused of having contacts related to Iran that were likely to assist a foreign intelligence service.
Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian citizen, is also accused of the same crime.
London Counter Terrorism Police said the alleged crimes occurred between 9 July 2025 and 15 August 2025.
The men were arrested on Friday, March 6, as part of an investigation into allegations of surveillance of people and places linked to the Jewish community in the London area.
They will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter-Terrorism Section, said: “We have decided to prosecute two men for an offense under the National Security Act.
“Nematullah Shahsavani, 40, and Alireza Farasati, 22, were charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between July 9, 2025 and August 15, 2025, contrary to Article 3 (2) of the National Security Law of 2023.
“The charge relates to carrying out activities such as gathering information and reconnaissance of targets in the UK. The country to which the charge relates is Iran.”
“We worked closely with the Metropolitan Police Counterterrorism Command in conducting the investigation.
“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are ongoing and they have the right to a fair trial.
“It is vital that there is no reporting, commenting or sharing of information online that could undermine these operations in any way.”
Deputy Assistant 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, and the Jewish community in particular, will be concerned, but I hope this investigation reassures them that we will not hesitate to take action if we determine there is a threat to their safety and will relentlessly pursue those who may be responsible.
“Counter-terrorism police are working closely with frontline officers across the country to keep communities safe.
“Public concerns can be shared with local police teams or through national reporting tools such as gov.uk/ACT.”
Two people who were arrested on March 6 within the scope of the investigation were released pending trial.
