Car salesman and barber deny spying on UK's Jewish community for Iranian intelligence at Old Bailey

From the Newshound archive · first published 12 October 2026.

Nematollah Shahsavani, 41, and Alireza Farasati, 23, pleaded not guilty at the Old Bailey to conducting surveillance on behalf of Iranian intelligence services between July and August 2025. Alleged targets included the Israeli embassy and consulate, Britain's oldest synagogue, a college, and a named woman said to be of interest to Tehran. Both men were remanded in custody and are to face trial from 26 April 2027.

Shahsavani, a dual Iranian-British national living in North Finchley, is alleged to have been directly instructed by Iranian intelligence and to have tasked Farasati with carrying out the on-the-ground surveillance.

Farasati, an Iranian national who moved to the UK as a 17-year-old in 2021, had his electronic devices seized during a police stop on 14 August 2025, a week before the alleged operation ended.

Both men were charged under the National Security Act 2023 and arrested in March 2026; a pre-trial hearing is set for 12 February.