Man Charged in Britain for Assisting Foreign Intelligence Service After RAF Fairford Incident
A 24-year-old man has been charged under the UK National Security Act for allegedly aiding a foreign intelligence service, while another was charged with entering a prohibited area at RAF Fairford, a base used by US forces for strikes on Iran.
British prosecutors have charged Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, with an offence of assisting a foreign intelligence service in connection with an incident at RAF Fairford, an air base in west England that has been used by the United States for operations against Iran. The charge, brought under the National Security Act, alleges that between Aug. 31 and Sept. 28 Abdulkarim engaged in conduct that could materially aid a foreign intelligence service in UK-related activities, though the foreign nation has not been identified.
A second 24-year-old, Nouman Essghir, has been charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom. Both men are scheduled to appear before a London court on Tuesday.
The Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division announced the charges, noting they stem from a counter-terrorism policing investigation into the RAF Fairford incident. > "We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues," said Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor for the division.
The incident follows the arrest of five individuals on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences near the base on Sept. 28. RAF Fairford has served as the US Air Force’s command outpost for European operations and for American strikes on Iranian missile sites.
After the arrests, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States had moved its long-range bombers out of the United Kingdom in response to a threat linked to Iran. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told lawmakers earlier in the month that the incident was highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Tehran has denied any involvement.