Two men charged in Canada with plotting an attack on a passenger train appeared in separate courts yesterday, while Iran reacted angrily to police accusations that the plotters were backed by al-Qaeda elements in Iran.

He denies the allegations and he will vigorously defend them

Raed Jaser, 35, of Toronto and Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, of Montreal were arrested in separate raids and charged on Monday, sparking worries of a Canadian attack just one week after the Boston Marathon bombings killed three people and injured more than 200.

Jaser arrived at the procedural hearing in Toronto’s Old City Hall courthouse sporting a long black beard and black cap. Details of the hearing are covered by a publication ban.

Jaser, who denied any involvement, was detained and will return for a bail hearing at a later date, his lawyer, John Norris, said.

“He denies the allegations and he will vigorously defend them,” Norris said outside the court, describing Jaser as being in a state of “shock and disbelief”. He would not disclose Jaser’s nationality but said he has been a resident of Canada for 20 years.

Outside the court room, a middle-aged man, a woman in a cream-coloured hijab and a younger man identified themselves as family, but would not give their names or answer questions.

Esseghaier, a Tunisian-born doctoral student at a Montreal-area university, appeared at a Montreal court, handcuffed and in shackles.