Seven men have appeared in court after a man suffered a suspected bleed on the brain following a protest outside the Iranian embassy. The Metropolitan Police responded to reports of a fight in Princes Gate, Knightsbridge, west London, shortly after 9.50am on Friday.
Two men involved in an altercation outside the embassy, aged 37 and 39, were taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, the Met said previously. Eight people were arrested including the 39-year-old.
Seven were charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent. All the men charged are Iranian nationals, police said.
They are: Mohammad Nadiri, 30, of Islington, north London; Pourrezaei Vahid, 41, of Cricklewood, north London; Armin Hasanlov, 35, of Liverpool; Esmaeil Balouchy, 50, of Brentford, west London; Saeed Hosseingholipoor, 34, of Mitcham, south London; Farzin Suleimani, 31, of Birmingham; Aref Yazdan Parast, 31, of Isleworth, west London.
They appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday. Rachel Hughes, prosecuting, said the defendants were taking part in a protest outside the Iranian embassy against the current regime in Tehran.
An Iranian flag was placed on the ground and one man “knelt and kissed that flag before running off with it” and was attacked, the court heard. Ms Hughes added that the victim suffered serious injuries including broken ribs, a broken ankle and a suspected bleed on the brain, and remains in hospital.
The defendants were remanded in custody by Judge Daniel Sternberg and told their next court appearance would be at Southwark Crown Court on July 21.
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