LONDON – A man has been charged with helping a former British soldier later convicted of spying for Iran when he escaped from a London prison, police said Monday.
Imran Chowdhury, 25, has been charged with one count of aiding and abetting a prisoner for helping Daniel Khalife after he was released from Wandsworth Prison in September 2023, the Metropolitan Police said.
Khalife tied himself to the bottom of a food delivery truck and was chased by dozens of police officers while on the run for three days.
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Khalife, 23, was convicted in November of breaching Britain’s Official Secrets Act and Terrorism Act by gathering information useful to an enemy – Iran. He faces sentencing later this year.
The police did not specify what assistance Chowdhury gave to Khalife while he was on the run. The police said that a 25-year-old woman, who was arrested for allegedly helping him, will not face charges.
Khalife testified at his trial that his contacts with the Iranian government were a ploy to work for Britain, but his lawyer said his James Bond aspirations were more “Scooby Doo” than 007.
Prosecutors said his crime was serious and that he passed on confidential and sensitive information that could have put other soldiers in grave danger.