Two Iranian men, Salam Ahmadyan and Rahman Salehi, have been charged with preparing to commit or assisting an act of terrorism allegedly targeting Manchester’s Jewish community.
Two Iranian men, Salam Ahmadyan and Rahman Salehi, have been charged in connection with an alleged terror plot targeting Manchester’s Jewish community. Salehi, 35, and Ahmadyan, 36, have each been charged with preparing to commit an act of terrorism or assisting another person to commit an act of terrorism.
The men were arrested on September 20, on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. They were detained on Newton Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter before being taken into custody at a London police station.
Counter-terrorism police had been given additional time to question the two men after they were detained under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
What We Know About The Alleged Terror Plot
Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said the joint investigation with security service partners had disrupted what police believed was a plot targeting Manchester’s Jewish community.
Evans said the alleged incident was not connected to the investigation into an incident at RAF Fairford, while noting wider threats being projected into the UK from Iran.
The Metropolitan Police, which is leading the investigation, said searches were also conducted at properties on Epworth Street in Liverpool and Lancaster Road in Salford.
Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said prosecutors had decided to prosecute the two men after a counter-terrorism investigation in Greater Manchester. He said proceedings are active and that both defendants have the right to a fair trial.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the arrests were a reminder of threats posed to the UK by terrorists and foreign state actors. She also said the fact that both suspects had arrived in the UK by small boat several years ago highlighted the government’s work to tackle illegal migration.