Key facts
- Rashad Sultanov, a dual UK and Azerbaijani national, was arrested in Cyprus on July 17.
- The arrest is linked to alleged hostile surveillance at RAF Akrotiri between May 11 and June 22, 2025.
- Sultanov is accused of sharing information with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
- Charges have been authorized under sections 3 and 4 of the National Security Act.
- This marks the first investigation using the National Security Act for alleged offenses in an overseas territory.
Rashad Sultanov, a 44-year-old dual UK and Azerbaijani national residing in Islington, has been arrested in Cyprus as part of the first investigation utilizing the National Security Act for alleged offenses committed in an overseas territory. Cypriot authorities apprehended Sultanov on July 17, and he is currently in custody pending extradition proceedings.
The investigation, spearheaded by Counter Terrorism Policing London, centers on incidents that allegedly occurred at RAF Akrotiri between May 11 and June 22, 2025. Sultanov is accused of conducting hostile surveillance on the military base and subsequently sharing this information with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), identified as a foreign intelligence service.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, emphasized the significance of this case, stating, "This case shows we are able to use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity." The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has formally authorized charges against Sultanov under sections 3 and 4 of the National Security Act.