By Upmanyu Trivedi | Updated on Oct 09, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Two men charged with spying for the Iranian intelligence service on members of the Jewish community in London pleaded not guilty on Friday.
Nematollah Shahsavani, 41, and Alireza Farasati, 22, will face a three-week jury trial in April next year on charges of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service in the UK under the National Security Act.
They conducted hostile surveillance of locations and individuals linked to the Israeli and Jewish community between July 2025 and August 2025, according to prosecutors. They were aware that their conduct could help an Iranian intelligence service, according to the allegations.
Shahsavani and Farasati, both London residents, were arrested in March 2026 and remain in jail.