- WIADOMOŚCI
British soldier charged under National Security Act
Photo. MOD UK/Instagram
A 24-year-old British soldier, Teddy Young, has been charged with two offences under the National Security Act. The soldier has been obtaining protected information and preparing to disclose it to a foreign state.
Police have not disclosed the name of the country for which Young allegedly sought to obtain information. He is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Thursday.
“These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces,” said Commander Helen Flanagan, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command. Police said they had worked closely with the UK Ministry of Defence throughout the investigation.
According to Reuters, the case is unrelated to an investigation into a potential attack on RAF Fairford, a base that was until recently used by US forces for strikes against Iran. US officials said the incident may have been linked to an attempted Iranian drone attack.
The National Security Act 2023 modernised UK laws covering espionage and other threats posed by foreign states. Among other offences, it criminalises obtaining, retaining or disclosing protected information where the conduct could harm the security or interests of the UK and is carried out for or on behalf of a foreign power. Some offences under the Act carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
