Police allege plot to free Iranians

The Iranian nationals, Ahmad Abolfathi Mohammad, left, and Sayed Mansour Mousavi, right in court in 2012. [Photo: Courtesy]

Two Iranians being held on terrorism-related charges have been moved to another facility.

This was prompted by what Kenyan authorities claimed was a plot to free them.

Officials aware of the development cited intelligence reports suggesting the presence of foreign operatives in the country scheming to free Ahmad Abolfathi Mohammad and Sayed Mansour Mousavi.

The two had initially been jailed for life by a magistrate's court in 2013 upon conviction for plotting terror attacks against Israeli, American, British and Saudi Arabian interests in Kenya.

But on appeal at the High Court, the sentence was reduced to 15-year imprisonment. The Court of Appeal later quashed the sentence, arguing there was no evidence linking the two to bomb-making materials seized in 2012.

The prosecution moved to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling.

Safer places

The Iranians have been moved to what officials termed safer places for their own security. 

Officials aware of the reports said although it would be nearly impossible to try to free the suspects from jail or any legal confinement, the steps had been taken as a precaution.

It is not clear to what jail the two had been moved.

The head of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, Nyale Munga, declined to discuss the details of the development. 

“Let them know our agencies are alert and will act on any threat at any given time. We are dealing with many threats on a daily basis,” said Mr Munga. 

He added that the two suspects were in safe custody. 

Anti-terrorism officers claimed the two Iranians were members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an elite and secretive unit that executes covert foreign missions, and that they were a threat to the country's security.