Court Told Man Detained in Chiswick Part of Terror Group
Prosecution says business park was subject to 'hostile reconnaissance'
Dovtaev at Gunnersbury Station. Picture: Met Police
December 15, 2023
The prosecution team in the trial of a man detained at Chiswick Business Park is alleging that he was not acting alone and was part of a terror group.
31-year-old Austrian citizen, Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, was caught filming with his mobile phone near the premises of Iran International TV on 11 February this year shortly after flying into the country.
It was put to the court at the Old Bailey this Monday (11 December) that he was engaged in a ‘hostile reconnaissance’ with the intention of collecting information about the security arrangements at the park. It was also contended that ‘others unknown’ had carried out similar operations possibly as part of a plan for a terrorist attack on the offices of the Saudi-owned station which was critical of the Tehran regime.
The prosecution said it was later going to present evidence that others had been involved in preparations for the attack.
Dovtaev, who is originally from Chechnya is charged with a single count of attempting to collect information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
He has denied the charge and told the security guards who initially spotted him filming that he was on the site to meet his brother in the 'beautiful area' and have a coffee. One of the guards noticed he was abusing him and his colleague in Russian. They directed him to the Starbucks within the business park and alerted anti-terror police.
Dovtaev was sat at a table in the coffee shop just before 11am when armed police arrived and detained him. Officers said that he remained calm when he was informed of the reason for his arrest and told them he was there to meet a friend from Chechnya called Othman. ‘Othman’ was listed in his mobile phone address book as ’B’.
Under questioning later, he told officers that he was on a weekend visit and had been filming the lake by Building 11, where Iran International was based, to show his children on his return. He later changed his story saying that he and his father had been the victim of a fraud which he believed had been perpatrated by a tenant in Building 11.
Security measures remain in place in the office development
Security measures remain in place at the office development despite Iran International TV having vacated the space it was letting there.
The trial continues.
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