A man is set to appear in court charged with arson following a fire at a memorial wall in Golders Green, north London. Ali Fallahi, 45, from Ilford, London, is accused of starting the suspected arson attack at the site on Limes Avenue on April 27.
Counter-Terrorism Investigation
The investigation was led by counter-terrorism police, and Fallahi is now due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, June 18. It is alleged that Fallahi "damaged by fire a memorial cabinet of a value unknown belonging to Miga Rally intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged."
Background of the Memorial Wall
The memorial wall was established by the Miga Rally community group as a tribute to thousands of protesters allegedly killed in a crackdown in Iran in January. A section of the wall is dedicated to those killed in the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel in 2023.
The fire was started at around 12:15 a.m. in a cabinet next to the wall, but the incident was reported at around 7:30 p.m. the same day. The Miga Rally community group said the blaze was spotted and quickly extinguished, and did not spread to the wall itself.
Community Response
After the incident, Miga Rally released a statement saying: "The memorial wall is a peaceful place of remembrance, documenting lives lost and ensuring victims are not forgotten. Any attempt to damage or desecrate such a site is deeply troubling and an attack on the values of remembrance, dignity and community cohesion. We hope those responsible will be identified and held accountable."
Police Statement
The Metropolitan Police said Fallahi is a dual British and Iranian national. A woman aged 38 was also arrested in connection with the incident but was released with no further action. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing London, said: "This charge marks another step forward in one of the investigations into the series of arson attacks targeting the Jewish community and Iranian diaspora in London. We are determined to bring everyone involved in these incidents to justice. As always, I ask the public to remain vigilant and to contact police if you are concerned and feel something isn't right."
