Two Men Charged in U.K. Under National Security Act Following Incident at U.S. Bomber Base
Charges stem from a September incident at RAF Fairford, which was used for strikes against Iran before U.S. bombers were withdrawn.
British prosecutors have charged two men under the United Kingdom’s National Security Act following an incident at RAF Fairford, a key base utilized by the U.S. military for its heavy bombers. The charges were announced Tuesday by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, of London, faces a charge of assisting a foreign intelligence service, which counterterrorism police believe was Iran. Nouman Essghir, 24, has been charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom.
The incident occurred in early September near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England. British police arrested five men in the early hours of Sept. 27. The charges follow a complex counterterrorism investigation, according to Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division.
RAF Fairford had been used by U.S. bombers to conduct strikes against Iran. Approximately a dozen B-1 bombers were later withdrawn from the base and returned to their home stations in the United States due to security concerns. The base serves as a significant European operating location for U.S. heavy bombers and has supported American military missions.
Both Abdulkarim and Essghir were expected to appear in court on Tuesday. The CPS emphasized that the charges do not constitute findings of guilt and that the defendants are entitled to a fair trial.