A 21-year-old man, Roman Lavrynovych, has been charged with three counts of arson for fires targeting properties and a car linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Metropolitan Police force announced the charges of arson with intent to endanger life against Lavrynovych, who was arrested earlier this week.
The charges stem from three separate incidents over the past week. The first was a car fire on May 8, followed by a fire on Monday at Starmer’s private home which damaged the door of the house. The third incident occurred on Sunday outside a north London house converted into apartments connected to the U.K. leader. Thankfully, no injuries were reported from any of the fires.
Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian national, is scheduled to appear in court on Friday after remaining in custody following his arrest. The investigation was led by counterterrorism detectives due to the involvement of the prime minister. Authorities are also looking into potential state involvement and other motivations for the attacks.
Keir Starmer, who moved to the prime minister’s official residence at Downing Street after taking office in July, condemned the arson attacks as “an attack on all of us, on democracy and the values that we stand for.” The attacks were also strongly criticized by leaders across the House of Commons, including Conservative Party member Kemi Badenoch, who deemed them “completely unacceptable.”
It’s worth noting that Starmer’s former house has been a target for protesters in the past. Last year, three pro-Palestinian activists were arrested and charged with public order offenses for displaying a banner covered in red handprints outside the building.
The investigation into the arson attacks continues, with authorities working to determine the full extent of Lavrynovych’s involvement and any potential motivations behind the incidents.
