A man with British and Azerbaijani citizenship, Rashad Sultanov, has been taken into custody by Cypriot authorities on suspicions of conducting surveillance activities at RAF Akrotiri, a UK military installation in Cyprus. It is alleged that Sultanov subsequently shared the gathered information with Iran.
The arrest of Sultanov is a result of an ongoing investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London concerning incidents that occurred at RAF Akrotiri from May 11 to June 22 this year. The Crown Prosecution Service has approved charges under Sections 3 and 4 of the National Security Act, accusing Sultanov of engaging in hostile surveillance at the base and passing on intelligence to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Commander Helen Flanagan, who heads Counter Terrorism Policing London, emphasized the significance of utilizing the National Security Act in situations where British military facilities are targeted by hostile state activities abroad. Collaboration between British and Cypriot law enforcement agencies has been pivotal in this case, with ongoing coordination involving the CPS, National Crime Agency, and Cypriot authorities as extradition proceedings move forward.
