The Hamburg Higher Regional Court in northern Germany found two men residing in Denmark guilty of intelligence activities for the Islamic Republic and their role in planning attacks against Jewish figures and pro-Israel centers. The judges of this court stated that these actions were directed by Iran and were intended to be carried out within Germany.
Prison Sentences for Spies
After three months of judicial proceedings, the court sentenced a 54-year-old man to 8 and a half years in prison and his 43-year-old accomplice to 4 and a half years in prison. The two were found guilty of spying for Iran and involvement in a murder plot and arson. The main defendant is a Danish citizen of Afghan descent who lived in Denmark before his arrest. The sentences issued align with the request of the German Federal Prosecutor's Office, while the defense lawyers had sought the acquittal of both defendants.
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Planning Attacks Against Jewish Figures
According to the court case, the two defendants were involved in gathering information about two well-known figures in Germany. One of the potential targets was Josef Schuster, the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and the other was Volker Beck, a former German parliament member from the Green Party and the current head of the Germany-Israel Association. The Federal Prosecutor's Office stated that the main defendant attempted to recruit the 43-year-old Beck for the attack or asked him to find someone else to carry out the attack. Ultimately, the two agreed on the second option and prepared to set fire to a kosher grocery store in Berlin.
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office announced that the 54-year-old received his orders directly from officers of the Quds Force, the overseas branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He traveled to Iran last year and has been in contact with senior officials of the Islamic Republic. The judge emphasized during the sentencing that the planned attacks were centrally directed from Iran, but their execution was intended to be decentralized within Germany.
Consequences of the Verdict and Reactions
Volker Beck, one of the potential attack targets, called for a stronger diplomatic response from Berlin towards the Islamic Republic. In a statement, he said that the judicial proceedings have shown how the Islamic Republic attempts to extend its violent actions into German territory. Beck also called for the immediate expulsion of the Islamic Republic's ambassador from Germany and a significant reduction in the number of Iranian embassy staff. He considered this ruling a serious warning for Germany's security policy and emphasized that it should not remain without political consequences.
The issuance of these sentences has once again raised the issue of intelligence and security activities attributed to the Islamic Republic in Europe. The Hamburg court concluded that the defendants were not only gathering information but also preparing for violent attacks against specific targets in Germany. Although preparations for the attack had been made, none of the planned attacks have yet been executed.
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