British man arrested in Cyprus suspected of spying and terror offences

A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying and terror-related offences.

The BBC understands he is thought to have carried out surveillance for Iran on the RAF Akrotiri base on the island.

Local media say he is of Azerbaijani descent and has connections to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

He appeared in a district court earlier on Saturday and was detained for a further eight days. The Foreign Office said it was in contact with Cypriot authorities.

RAF Akrotiri is the UK’s most significant base in the region and has previously been used to help defend Israeli skies from attack by Iran.

Read more: BBC News