Britainupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 1 November 2021UK Prosecutors Charge Mohmed Abdulkarim And Nouman Essghir Over RAF Fairford Incident
8 Western Mainstream2 Latin American2 West Asian2 Other source typesPhoto: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eugene Oliver / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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Two nationals, Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, charged under National Security Act re RAF Fairford. One is suspected of assisting Iran's intelligence service.
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Two charged at Fairford
British prosecutors charged Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir under the National Security Act after an incident near RAF Fairford in September. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said police believed the country Abdulkarim was assisting was Iran, and the Crown Prosecution Service said Abdulkarim was charged with conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service.
“Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of the UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said police believed the country Abdulkarim was assisting was Iran.”
Essghir was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK on 22 August, while Al Jazeera said Essghir was charged under the National Security Act following the September incident. The charges set up the two men to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, and Reuters said RAF Fairford had been used by US bombers to carry out strikes on Iran before they were withdrawn on security grounds shortly after five British men were arrested outside the base on September 27.
Iran-linked claims and denials
Laurence Taylor told reporters that police had seen “a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state,” and he said the UK was working with MI5 to intervene, identify and respond to the threat. Iran had previously denied any involvement in the incident at RAF Fairford, while British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the activity at RAF Fairford was likely to have been coordinated in Iran and Iran's ambassador to Britain denied it.
Al Jazeera said police initially commented that they were considering all avenues and were not ruling out a state actor, and it added that police later increasingly said they believed there was evidence that Iran was involved. The CPS said the charges followed a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into a high-profile incident involving RAF Fairford, and Sky News quoted Frank Ferguson saying, “We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues.”
Bail, arrests, and next steps
A 25-year-old UK-Iranian national who was also re-arrested on that date has now been released without charge but remained on police bail after an October 1 arrest on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Reuters said six other people, four of whom were British nationals arrested outside RAF Fairford on September 27, remained on police bail, and it said the pair would appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later on Tuesday.
“A 25-year-old UK-Iranian national who was also re-arrested on that date has now been released without charge.”
DW said US bombers were withdrawn from Fairford on security grounds shortly after the arrests, and it said police considered Iranian state involvement “highly likely.” Al Jazeera said dozens of residents were evacuated from their homes as armed police and army bomb-disposal experts searched the rural area after Essghir was arrested outside the base on September 27, and it said six other men remained on bail living in London and aged between 23 and 25 as investigations continued.