British prosecutors announced on Friday that three men have been formally charged in connection with an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances in north London on March 23. The vehicles were set alight close to a synagogue in the Golders Green area, an attack that Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as a "deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack".
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the three suspects, aged 20, 19 and 17, have been charged with arson with intent to damage property and with being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Two of the accused are British nationals and the third holds dual British-Pakistani citizenship. They were expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
The SITE Intelligence website has reported that an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective calling itself the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand claimed responsibility for the incident. That claim is part of the public information surrounding the case, although authorities have not changed the formal classification of the incident.
Counter-terrorism officers are heading the police investigation, reflecting the sensitivity of the incident and its context near a place of worship. Despite that, officials have stated that the event is not at present being treated as an act of terrorism. The distinction between the investigative lead and the current classification has been emphasised by authorities involved in the case.
The charges brought by prosecutors allege conduct that endangered property and carried a risk to life. The legal process will continue with the defendants' scheduled appearance in magistrates' court, where the formal prosecution steps will be taken.
Details reported publicly so far are limited to the timing of the attack, the location, the ages and nationalities of those charged, the specific criminal allegations, and the involvement of counter-terrorism officers in the investigation. Further developments, including any additional charges or changes in classification, will be determined as the inquiry and court proceedings progress.