World · 31 July 2026
How does one law now reach overseas bases?
Britain used its National Security Act overseas for the first time to charge Rashad Sultanov, 44, over alleged spying on RAF Akrotiri for Iran. Cypriot police arrested the British-Azerbaijani Islington man on 17 July; prosecutors allege he watched the base for weeks in 2025. Commander Helen Flanagan said the case shows the law can protect bases from hostile states abroad, as extradition continues.
Reported by Metropolitan Police · How we write briefs