Iran has summoned a British envoy in Tehran to formally protest the detention of several Iranian citizens who have been accused of espionage, according to state media reports on Monday.
“Following the unwarranted arrest of a number of Iranian nationals in the UK… the British charge d’affaires in Tehran was summoned on Sunday,” the IRNA news agency reported, characterizing the arrests as “politically motivated.”
Three Iranian men were presented before a London court on Saturday, facing charges of espionage on behalf of the Islamic republic.
These individuals, identified as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, all residing in London, were taken into custody on May 3rd.
The British Home Office stated that these individuals were irregular migrants who entered the UK via small boats or other means, such as concealment in vehicles, between 2016 and 2022.
The alleged espionage activities occurred between August 2024 and February 2025, as per information released by UK police.
A fourth man was apprehended on May 9th as part of the same investigation but has since been released without any charges being filed, the police confirmed in a statement.
In a separate investigation, five Iranian individuals were also arrested on May 3rd.
Four of these men, who were held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, have been released, although the investigation “remains active and is ongoing,” according to police.
The fifth individual was previously released on bail until an unspecified date in May.
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