Arson attacker ‘targeted photo of Crown Prince of Iran who he blamed for cousin’s death’

A man carried out an arson attack near a memorial wall in Golders Green to burn a photograph of the former Crown Prince of Iran who he blamed for his cousin’s death, a court was told.

Ali Fallahi, 46, from Ilford, east London, pleaded guilty to arson in August over a fire on April 27 in an area of north London which has a large Jewish population.

The incident sparked an investigation by counter-terrorism police.

The fire started at around 12.15am in a cabinet in front of a memorial wall in Limes Avenue established by the Miga Rally community group as a tribute to thousands of protesters killed in a crackdown in Iran in January.

A section of the wall is also dedicated to those killed in the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel on October 7 2023.

Miga Rally said the blaze was spotted and quickly extinguished, and did not spread to the wall.

Harrow Crown Court heard on Friday that Fallahi attempted to burn a photograph of Reza Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran, who he blamed for the death of his cousin in anti-government protests in Iran.

Mr Pahlavi, 65, lives in the US as a dissident in exile and has urged Iranians to protest against the regime of the Islamic Republic.

Reading out a summary of Fallahi’s position, Judge Lana Wood said: “What he says is there was no wider political motivation or hate element in this offence.

“He did have a grievance against Reza Pahlavi but that was related to his bereavement of his cousin who was killed in anti-government protests in Iran.

“He says, ‘It was easy for Reza Pahlavi to be brave in making calls for people to go out and protest against the regime in Iran when he was himself making calls from a safe country’.

“For that reason Mr Fallahi has been angry with Reza Pahlavi and at the time of offending he was blaming him for his cousin’s death.”

Fallahi’s sentencing on Friday was adjourned to November 27 after the dual British-Iranian national asked for a change in his solicitors after their “relationship broke down”, the court heard.

A Newton hearing will take place on November 27 and Judge Wood set out the positions of the prosecution and Fallahi before releasing him on bail.

Prosecutor Oliver Mosley said there was “no information to contradict” Fallahi’s motivation and the judge said she would sentence him on that basis.

However, prosecutors allege Fallahi intended to damage the cabinet on which the photograph was situated as well as the picture.

They also argue that because of its proximity to the memorial wall, Fallahi must have been reckless as to whether his action would result in damage to the memorial.

The judge said the Newton hearing would establish whether Fallahi intended “just to damage the photographs of Reza Pahlavi or whether you also intended to damage the cabinet”.

Summarising the prosecution’s case, the judge said: “When you put accelerant to photos on the cabinet, it’s blindingly obvious, they say, that the cabinet was also going to be damaged.

“The test for me is whether the prosecution are right when they say that.”