Man charged in UK with assisting foreign intelligence service linked to Iran

LONDON, May 29 (Reuters) – A Greek national has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, believed to be Iran’s, over the targeting of a journalist working for the London-based television ​station Iran International, British police said on Friday.

Counter-terrorism police said Ioannis Aidinidis, 46, who resides in Munich, Germany, was arrested on Saturday, May 16, and had been charged under Britain’s National Security Act.

Aidinidis is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later on Friday.

Police said allegations were believed to relate to Iran and to the targeting of a British-based journalist at Iran International, which is critical of Tehran’s government.

Officers said they did not believe there to be any wider threat to the public.

“We know this may cause concern for many people here in the UK, and particularly those working in Persian-language media,” said Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing in London.

“We continue to work closely with a number of organisations and individuals to provide them with advice and support around their safety and security and this includes the specific individual and organisation linked to this investigation.”

In April, three people were charged over an attempted arson attack on premises linked to Iran International in northwest London, though the fire caused no damage or injuries.

British police have previously said they were looking at whether there were any Iranian links to that incident and a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in the capital.

A pro-Iranian group called Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) had claimed responsibility for most of the incidents.

(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Kate Holton and Michael Holden)