Greek national pleads not guilty in UK court to assisting a foreign intelligence service

A Greek man appeared in a London court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to carrying out surveillance on behalf of a foreign intelligence service on a journalist working for the London-based television ​station Iran International. Ioannis Aidinidis, 46, who was born in Georgia and lived in Munich, Germany, at the time of his arrest, was chargedin May under Britain’s National Security Act. He was remanded in custody ahead of his trial in May next year. Police previously said Aidinidis’ actions were believed to be on behalf of Iran. Prosecutors said at his first court appearance that Aidinidis had travelled to Britain twice, in April and in May, to carry out surveillance of a journalist for Iran International, which is critical of Iran’s government. Tehran has repeatedly denied involvement in attacks or plots in Britain.