UK Justice: Two London Men Charged in Iran-Linked RAF Fairford Probe
The Crown Prosecution Service filed charges against two 24-year-old British nationals under the National Security Act following the September incident near the air base.
By Allison Singh ·
Two men were formally charged with national security offenses in Britain on Tuesday, the Crown Prosecution Service announced. The charges follow last week’s arrests related to a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford, an air base in western England used by the U.S. military for strikes on Iran.
Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24, are British nationals living in London. Abdulkarim faces charges for assisting a foreign intelligence service in September. He is also accused of engaging in conduct likely to materially assist that service in U.K. activities.
Essghir was charged with approaching a prohibited place for a purpose known to be prejudicial to U.K. interests. Police arrested Abdulkarim under the National Security Act last week. A 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national was also taken into custody then but was released on bail pending further investigation.
The initial probe began on Sept. 27 when five men were detained near the base. Armed police and bomb-disposal experts searched the area and evacuated residents of a nearby town. Investigators found gasoline in three vans driven by the suspects, which were parked close to a base entrance. No explosives were discovered.
U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated the incident prompted the U.S. Air Force to take action. The base has hosted U.S. long-range bombers for years and served as a launch point during the conflict with Iran. Iranian officials have long stated that bases used to attack their country are legitimate targets.
The Iranian Embassy in London previously rejected links between the incident and the regime. They described media speculations as unfounded and malicious. The embassy strongly condemned attempts to tie Iran to the plot.
Six men remain free on bail in relation to the case. Four were arrested on Sept. 27, and two were detained later. All six are U.K. nationals from London in their 20s, including the dual national held on Oct. 1. Police said the original five suspects remain under investigation and will be monitored.
Source: CBS News
