image sourced from original article at Two Iranian men have appeared in a London court charged with spying on Jewish sites on behalf of Tehran, including conducting reconnaissance on a synagogue. Prosecutors allege the pair gathered information on locations linked to the Israeli and Jewish community in the British capital.
Nematollah Shahsavani, a dual Iranian and British national aged 40, and Alireza Farasati, a 22 year old Iranian national, are accused of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between July 9 and August 15 last year. Prosecutors say Iran is the state connected to the charges.
The court heard that Shahsavani allegedly identified targets for surveillance, including the Israeli embassy and consulate, a Jewish community center and Bevis Marks Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Britain. Both men were arrested on March 6, have not yet entered pleas, and remain in custody ahead of a scheduled hearing at the Old Bailey on April 17.
Authorities have previously warned of an increasing threat from Iran, with the head of the domestic intelligence service stating last year that security agencies had tracked more than 20 potentially lethal Iran backed plots in the preceding year.
