Latest news with #foreignintelligence
Sky News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Home Secretary pledges new powers to target foreign intelligence agencies seeking to recruit 'criminals and misfits'
The Home Secretary has pledged to introduce new powers to ban foreign intelligence agencies seeking to recruit "criminals, proxy groups, misfits and private investigators" in the UK. Yvette Cooper said the government would emulate counter-terrorism legislation to plug gaps in areas including proscription to ban organisations such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). It comes after a government watchdog said new powers should create a "banned list" of foreign intelligence agencies seeking to recruit for their work in the UK and abroad. Other recommendations include outlawing "inviting support" for banned foreign intelligence services, greater stop and search powers, and the removal of suspects' passports, in an echo of the current terrorism legislation. Foreign agents and their allies who use the UK to prepare activity on targets abroad would also be criminalised. It comes after six Bulgarians were jailed for conducting surveillance operations on diplomats, dissidents, journalists and Ukrainian soldiers in the UK and Europe on behalf of Russian intelligence. Three men have also recently been charged over the alleged targeting of journalists at the Iran International TV station in London, the third such criminal case involving the opposition broadcaster in two years. Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of state threat legislation, said the government "needs to do even more to warn the public about the risk posed by the most dangerous foreign intelligence services". The foreign agencies would be "put on notice" that their "operations, and minions and influence networks, are at greater risk of executive action, by way of arrest and prosecution, or deportation, or other forms of disruption, from UK authorities," Mr Hall said. He said it was "striking" how Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, had recently directly addressed members of the public "getting into cahoots with spies". "Since there is no way for the authorities to be everywhere - and nor would we want them to be - all those criminals, proxy groups, misfits and private investigators who might be tempted to assist should be alerted to the most dangerous organisations," Mr Hall said. 2:29 While few foreign intelligence services will ever act openly, the fact that such organisations actively aspire to damage national security should be "prominently exposed for public consumption," he added. Exposure would lead to a "harder operating environment" in which state entities would have less confidence in finding willing or unwitting assistance to carry out plans, securing finance or providing accommodation. "Naming and shaming" in a high-profile manner, accompanied by open reasons, would also help attempts at "plausible deniability" for serious harm caused to the UK or its allies. The measure could be used against "state-aligned" groups such as the Wagner mercenary group used by the Russians, where it could not be said that the entity was "controlled by" a foreign power. Mr Hall said there were "solid reasons" for creating a new power, equivalent to proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000. He suggested a new order called a Statutory Alert and Liability Threat Notice (SALT Notice) that could be invoked by the home secretary against a foreign intelligence agency. Mr Hall recommended a new offence of "inviting support" for a foreign intelligence service subject to a SALT notice because there might be "ideologically motivated" individuals tempted to carry out acts of espionage or sabotage. Responding to the recommendations, Ms Cooper told the House of Commons: "We're committed to taking forward Mr Hall's recommendations, and we will draw up new powers, modelled on counter-terrorism powers in a series of areas, to tackle those state threats. "We will not hesitate to use it against organisations that pose a threat to UK residents because we will not stand for foreign state organisations seeking to escalate threats on UK soil," she said. She told the House of Commons that "malign activities" by or on behalf of foreign states have grown, and the threats we face have become "more complex and intertwined." MI5 state threats investigations have increased by nearly 50 per cent in a year and police investigations have increased five-fold since 2018, she said.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Iran ambassador ordered to the Foreign Office after three Iranians are charged with being spies
The Iranian ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office in response to three Iranian nationals being charged under the National Security Act, the Government said. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: 'Today, upon instruction from the Foreign Secretary, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Kingdom was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. 'His Excellency Seyed Ali Mousavi was summoned in response to three Iranian nationals charged under the National Security Act. 'The UK Government is clear that protecting national security remains our top priority and Iran must be held accountable for its actions. 'The summons follows this weekend's announcement which stated that three Iranian nationals had been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
British Police Charge Three Iranians as Part of Spying Probe
Three Iranian men appeared in court in London on Saturday accused of offences under the National Security Act and plotting violence following a major counter-terrorism investigation by British police. The three men have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between August 14, 2024, and February 16, 2025, police said, adding that the foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran, Reuters said. The charges come at a time of intense scrutiny of suspected Iran-backed activities in Britain. Interior minister Yvette Cooper said Britain would take "separate action" to address the serious issues raised by the case of the three men. "Iran must be held to account for its actions," she said in a statement. "We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil." The charges against the three men come after police arrested eight men including seven Iranians earlier in May, in two separate operations which Cooper said were some of the biggest investigations of their kind in recent years. Police said in a separate statement later on Saturday that four other men arrested as part of the counter-terrorism operation had been released from custody but the investigation was still open. "We made these arrests due to concerns about a suspected plot to target a specific premises," the statement said, adding that they continued to provide the premises with support. "Our investigation remains active and is ongoing." The eighth man was released without charge on Thursday. SERIOUS VIOLENCE Britain's domestic spy chief Ken McCallum said last year that officers had responded since 2022 to 20 Tehran-backed plots that potentially posed lethal threats to UK citizens and residents. The three men charged - Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55 - were remanded in custody and will appear at a preliminary hearing at the central criminal court on June 6. The court on Saturday heard allegations that the three men had targeted Britain-based journalists connected with Iran International, a broadcaster which is critical of the Iranian government. Sepahvand was also charged with surveillance and intending to commit serious violence against a person in Britain, while Manesh and Noori were charged with surveillance and the intention that serious violent acts would be committed by others. The men arrived by irregular means, the government said, including via small boats across the Channel between 2016 and 2022. Immigration is a major political issue in Britain, where many voters are worried over the high numbers of arrivals. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to reduce the number of small boat crossings by targeting people smuggling gangs. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has previously said he was "disturbed" to learn that Iranian citizens had been arrested by British authorities. He said Tehran was ready to assist in investigations if "credible allegations of misconduct are established", while another foreign ministry official rejected any accusations against Iran as "baseless". In 2023, an Austrian national was convicted of carrying out "hostile reconnaissance" against the London headquarters of Iran International. Last year a British journalist of Iranian origin who worked for Iran International was stabbed in London. The British government has placed Iran on the highest tier of its foreign influence register, requiring Tehran to register everything it does to exert political influence in the UK.
Times
17-05-2025
- Times
Three Iranians charged under National Security Act
Three Iranian nationals have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service. The men were arrested on May 3 following investigations by counterterrorism officers, the Metropolitan Police said. Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, were charged with conduct likely to assist foreign intelligence under the National Security Act. The charges concerned conduct between August 14, 2024 and February 16 this year. Sepahvand was also charged with engaging in surveillance and reconnaissance and intending to commit serious violence against a person. Manesh and Noori have also been charged with engaging in surveillance and reconnaissance to help another person commit serious violence against a person. The foreign state referred to in the charges is Iran,
Telegraph
17-05-2025
- Telegraph
Three Iranians charged after counter terror investigations
Three Iranian men have been charged with offences under the National Security Act, police said. The trio were charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between Aug 14 last year and Feb 16, 2025, following an investigation by counter-terror police. The Metropolitan Police named the three men charged as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55.
