Greek national pleads not guilty in UK court to assisting Iran

Ioannis Aidinidis, a 46-year-old Greek national, pleaded not guilty in a London court on Friday to charges of conducting surveillance on behalf of Iran targeting a journalist for Iran International. He was charged under the UK National Security Act in May and remanded in custody until trial in May 2027.

Ioannis Aidinidis, a 46-year-old Greek national born in Georgia and residing in Munich, Germany, appeared in a London court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to charges of assisting a foreign intelligence service by surveilling a journalist for Iran International, a London-based television station critical of the Iranian government. Prosecutors stated that Aidinidis traveled to Britain twice, in April and May, to carry out the surveillance. He was charged in May under the UK's National Security Act and has been remanded in custody until his trial in May next year. The article also notes broader UK concerns about Iranian activities, including a separate incident at RAF Fairford where five British men were arrested in September, and charges against two Iranian nationals for plotting a terrorist attack against a Jewish community in northern England. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood commented on the threats from the Iranian regime, targeting Jewish communities and critics overseas.