Two men accused of carrying out surveillance on the Israeli Embassy, Britain’s oldest synagogue and other Jewish and Israeli-linked sites in London on behalf of Iran pleaded not guilty on Friday.
Nematollah Shahsavani, a 41-year-old dual British-Iranian national, and Alireza Farasati, a 22-year-old Iranian national, appeared at London’s Old Bailey and denied an offense under the National Security Act.
Prosecutors allege the two gathered information and carried out reconnaissance in July and August 2025 in conduct intended to assist an Iranian intelligence service.
Israeli embassy and Jewish sites
British authorities have previously said the investigation involved surveillance of locations and individuals connected to London’s Jewish community. Earlier court proceedings identified targets including the Israeli Embassy, a Jewish community center, a college and Britain’s oldest synagogue.
The two men were charged in March. At the time, British counterterrorism police described the allegations as “extremely serious” and said the investigation centered on suspected hostile surveillance.
The UK government subsequently summoned Iran’s ambassador over the charges, saying one defendant was an Iranian national and the other a British-Iranian dual national.
Friday’s hearing marked the pair’s formal denial of the allegations. They are due to stand trial in April 2027.
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