UK-Iranian national charged with arson at London memorial wall


LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - ⁠A man who holds both British and Iranian ⁠nationality has been charged with an arson ‌attack in April on a memorial wall in a north London area that is home to a large Jewish community, police ​said on Wednesday.

Ali Reza Fallahi, ⁠45, has been charged ⁠with carrying out the attack on the wall in ⁠Golders ‌Green which contained pictures of protesters who were allegedly killed by the Iranian state ⁠in January. He is due to appear ​at London's ‌Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

"This charge marks another ⁠step forward ​in one of the investigations into the series of arson attacks targeting the Jewish community and Iranian ⁠diaspora in London," said Helen Flanagan, ​head of counter terrorism policing in London.

A 38-year-old woman who was also arrested in connection with the arson ⁠has been released and faces no further action.

The incident was one of a number arsons carried out on Jewish sites in Golders Green during a ​spate of attacks, with police ⁠saying they were investigating whether they had possible Iran ​links.

Two Jewish men were also ‌stabbed, prompting the government to ​raise the national terrorism threat level to "severe" from "substantial".

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Sarah Young)

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