A Greek national accused of helping Iranian intelligence services spy on a journalist in the United Kingdom has pleaded not guilty to a national security offence before a court in London.

British counter-terrorism police allege that Ioannis Aidinidis travelled to the UK twice this year to conduct surveillance on a prominent Iranian journalist. According to allegations previously presented by prosecutors, Aidinidis monitored locations in London and Brighton linked to the journalist and used a hidden camera concealed inside a sock and placed in a tree, Bloomberg reports.

The 46-year-old Aidinidis appeared on Friday before the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, also known as the Old Bailey, with the assistance of a Russian-language interpreter. He spoke only to confirm his identity and enter a not-guilty plea.

He had already denied the allegations during police questioning following his arrest in a seaside town in southern England in May 2026.

Aidinidis’s trial is scheduled to begin in May 2027, according to the court. His lawyer has yet to present the defence’s case.

The journalist allegedly targeted by the surveillance worked for Iran International TV, a broadcaster that the Iranian government has designated as a terrorist organisation, prosecutors said.

Iran has previously denied any allegations linking it to intelligence-gathering activities in the United Kingdom.