31/07/2026 19:43 - Internacionales
According to British police, Cypriot authorities achieved a major milestone in the fight against espionage by arresting an individual linked to hostile surveillance activities.
Rashad Sultanov, a 44-year-old man with dual British and Azerbaijani citizenship residing in Islington, North London, was arrested on July 17, 2026 by Cypriot authorities. He is currently in custody while extradition proceedings to the United Kingdom continue.
The suspect allegedly carried out hostile surveillance on the British airbase RAF Akrotiri, located on the Mediterranean island, and subsequently shared sensitive information with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran. For context, the IRGC is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces responsible for protecting the country's Islamic republic political system and often involved in foreign operations.
Led by the Counter Terrorism Command, this case represents the first application of the UK's National Security Act outside its borders. The investigation focuses on incidents that occurred at the base between May 11 and June 22 of the previous year.
The RAF Akrotiri base, retained by the UK since Cyprus gained independence in 1960, has been a crucial staging point for military operations in the Middle East, including Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. In March, the facility suffered minor damage from a Shahed drone attack, and in July, the IRGC explicitly threatened to strike any British base used by US forces.
This case demonstrates that we can use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activities.
Source: The Guardian
Alfredo S. Quiroga
