Four Guilty in London Arson Attack Targeting Jewish Volunteer Ambulances
Details of the London Arson Attack and Legal Proceedings
Overview of the Incident
LONDON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Four young British men pleaded guilty on Friday to charges over an arson attack on community ambulances in London, the first of a spate of incidents targeting the capital's Jewish community earlier this year.
The Accused and Court Proceedings
Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, 18, appeared at London's Old Bailey court and admitted a charge of destroying or damaging property being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
Details of the Attack
The charges relate to the torching of four ambulances belonging to Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola on March 23 while they were parked near a synagogue, which prosecutors said cost around £1 million ($1.36 million) in total.
About Hatzola
Hatzola is a not-for-profit volunteer emergency service that works alongside Britain's National Health Service and primarily serves the Orthodox Jewish community.
Context and Further Incidents
Claim of Responsibility
Pro-Iranian group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI)claimed responsibility for the ambulance attack, which was followed by several other arson incidents in London
Other Targets in the Spate of Attacks
A synagogue and a former synagogue were targeted, as was Persian-language media organisation Iran International and a memorial wall dedicated to people killed in Iran.
Police Investigation
British police said at the time that they were investigating possible Iranian links to those arson attacks, with HAYI also having claimed responsibility for some of them.
Additional Information
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(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Michael Holden)
