U.K. courts · October 27, 2026
Two men charged under National Security Act in RAF Fairford investigation
Published October 27, 2026 · Official police update
What changed
Counter Terrorism Policing announced charges against two men on October 27 in the investigation into activity near RAF Fairford on September 27. This follows the re-arrests described in our October 21 briefing.
Nouman Essghir, 24, was charged under section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 over suspected activity on August 22. Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, 24, was charged under section 3, concerning assistance to a foreign intelligence service. Police say they believe the country involved is Iran.
A separate custody decision
A 25-year-old man re-arrested on October 20 was released without charge in relation to that re-arrest, but remains on bail following his earlier arrest. He is not one of the two men charged in this announcement.
What remains unresolved
These are national-security charges, not convictions. Both defendants are presumed innocent. The alleged Iranian connection remains a police assessment to be tested through the legal process. The announcement schedules court appearances for October 27; it does not report their outcomes.