Men in court over alleged plot to target Manchester Jewish community
The pair were arrested on the eve of Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Two Iranian men, Rahman Salehi and Salam Ahmadyan, appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday, charged with terror offences in connection with an alleged plot to target Manchester's Jewish community with a homemade bomb. The court heard that the men were accused of preparing an act of terrorism or assisting another to commit one on or before September 20.
The pair, who arrived in the UK by small boat, were arrested in Manchester's Northern Quarter the day before Yom Kippur. Allegedly, they had researched and conducted reconnaissance on potential targets, including the Heaton Park synagogue, which was attacked in September last year, killing two British Jews. Salehi and Ahmadyan were remanded in custody until October 23, when they will appear at the Old Bailey in London.
The Metropolitan Police revealed that the men were found with instructions for making a chlorine bomb, liquids and components for an improvised explosive device, as well as evidence of their hostile reconnaissance of buildings in Manchester, including the Heaton Park synagogue and the Jewish Museum. The suspects were alleged to have been directed by another Iranian individual believed to be in Iran.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed deep distress over the charges, stating that the fact the suspects arrived by small boat several years ago is a reminder of the importance of tackling illegal migration and maintaining border security. She pledged to protect Jewish communities, root out antisemitism, and maintain border security.
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