Trial Date Set for Men Accused in Manchester Synagogue Bomb Plot
Two Iranian nationals are facing charges related to alleged reconnaissance and preparation for a terrorist act targeting the Jewish community.
A trial date has been set for June 15, 2027, for two Iranian men accused of plotting to bomb a synagogue in Manchester, England. Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, appeared via videolink at the Old Bailey and deny charges of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts.
The prosecution alleges that Ahmadyan and Salehi conducted hostile reconnaissance at Heaton Park Synagogue and the Jewish Museum in Cheetham Hill. They are also accused of receiving instructions to create a chlorine bomb, acquiring the necessary components, and using the internet to research potential targets. It is further alleged that the two men were in contact with an Iranian national who directed and coordinated the planned attack from within Iran.
The pair are said to have arrived illegally into the UK by boat. Both deny all charges against them. The trial is expected to last five weeks, with a next court hearing scheduled for April 16.
Heaton Park Synagogue was the site of a fatal attack in October of the previous year, when an assailant drove into its gates and began a knife attack. Two men, Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, were killed in that incident.