LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Two men accused of being tasked by Iran to carry out hostile surveillance on the Israeli Embassy in London, Britain’s oldest synagogue and other Israeli or Jewish targets pleaded not guilty on Friday.
Nematollah Shahsavani, a 41-year-old dual Iranian-British national, and Alireza Farasati, a 22-year-old Iranian national, appeared at London’s Old Bailey court and denied a single offence under the National Security Act.
The pair are alleged to have gathered information and undertaken reconnaissance in July and August 2025, with a list of targets including the Israeli Embassy, the Israeli Consulate and London’s Bevis Marks Synagogue.
Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said one of the alleged targets also included an unnamed individual “of intelligence interest” to Iran.
Shahsavani and Farasati were remanded in custody ahead of their next court appearance in February, with their trial due to begin in April.
Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in hostile activity in Britain, which authorities say has markedly increased since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 that triggered the subsequent war in Gaza.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Kate Holton and Sarah Young)
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