Seven men have denied causing grievous bodily harm after a man suffered a suspected bleed on the brain following a protest outside the Iranian embassy in London.
They were arrested after the Metropolitan Police responded to reports of a fight in Princes Gate, Knightsbridge, shortly after 9.50am on June 20.
The defendants, whom police said were all Iranian nationals, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.
They are: Mohammad Nadiri, 31, of Islington, north London; Vahid Pourrezaei, 41, of Cricklewood, north London; Armin Hasanlov, 35, of Liverpool; Esmaeil Balouchy, 50, of Brentford, west London; Saeed Hosseingholipoor, 34, of Mitcham, south London; Aref Yazdan Parast, 31, of Isleworth, west London; and Mohammad Anari Hossiah, 33, of no fixed address.
Farzin Suleimani, 31, of Birmingham, did not enter a plea.
The defendants were taking part in a protest outside the Iranian embassy against the current regime in Tehran, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard previously.
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.
The victim was said to have suffered serious injuries including broken ribs, a broken ankle and a suspected bleed on the brain.
Judge Mark Weekes said he would hear bail applications at a later date.
A provisional trial date has been set for January 5 next year.
