Man accused of gathering information on Jews in Berlin for Iran arrested in Denmark, officials say
The Danish national, identified only as Ali S. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested on Thursday in the Danish city of Aarhus, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
The man was tasked by an Iranian intelligence service early this year with gathering information on 'Jewish localities and specific Jewish individuals' in Berlin, prosecutors said. They didn't elaborate.
He spied on three properties in June, 'presumably in preparation of further intelligence activities in Germany, possibly including terrorist attacks on Jewish targets,' prosecutors said.
The suspect is accused of working for an intelligence service of a foreign power. The information leading to his arrest came from Germany's domestic intelligence service, prosecutors said.
The suspect will be brought before a judge in Germany to determine whether he is kept in custody pending formal charges after extradition from Denmark. It was not immediately clear when that will happen.
Germany is a staunch ally of Israel and has a long history of tense relations with Tehran, though it has been one of the three leading European powers trying to engage Iran in diplomacy over its nuclear program.
In October, Germany ordered the closure of all three Iranian Consulates in the country in response to the Iranian judiciary's announcement of the execution of Iranian German prisoner Jamshid Sharmahd, who lived in the United States and was kidnapped in Dubai in 2020 by Iranian security forces. That left the Islamic Republic with only its embassy in Berlin.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
39 minutes ago
- Reuters
Germany, UK to sign mutual assistance defence pact, reports Politico
BERLIN, July 2 (Reuters) - Germany and Britain will on July 17 sign a defence treaty that includes a mutual assistance clause in the event of a threat to either country, the Politico news outlet reported on Wednesday. The report came almost a year after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a joint declaration promising closer cooperation on issues from trade to security. That broad agreement is now being finalised, according to Politico, and a key area is defence. It will include a section stating that any strategic threat to one country would represent a threat to the other and the accord is expected to be signed on July 17, it reported, citing two London-based officials. Although both countries are committed to NATO, the defence agreement highlights a shift among European states, including Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, to work more closely together and rely less on the U.S. under President Donald Trump. A spokesperson for the German defence ministry said on Wednesday that he had no new developments to impart when asked about the Politico report at a government press conference in Berlin. Germany and Britain launched negotiations in August 2024 on a bilateral treaty covering a broad range of areas, from defence and security cooperation, to labour and economic growth. "We are in the final stages of finalising the treaty," a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said at the same press conference, adding that the German cabinet would sign off on it before the end of July. Britain's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Review Geek
40 minutes ago
- The Review Geek
Countdown (2025) – Season 1 Episode 4 'Bite ‘Em Down' Recap & Review
Episode 4 Episode 4 of Countdown begins with the task force combing the burnt-down dance hall while Mark rides the ambulance with Officer Damon Drew. He looks worried as Drew's breathing gets shallow. Unfortunately, Drew dies during surgery. While the LAPD goes after Mikhail, Blythe reminds the task force not to waste his sacrifice and to continue with the mission. Mark fills them in that he saw some blueprints, the map of the LA port and the name, Gallagher. With the death of Drew, DA Valwell gets a chance to report the task force which leads to the LAPD asking for Mark and Finau back. Furious, Blythe confronts Valwell and warns him to back off and drop the complaint. Mikhail and Borys meet but we learn that the former is not interested in the terrorist attacks and cares about his family and money. He backs down when Borys threatens him, reminding him of the importance of their mission. Back at the base, Bell checks in on Shepherd who had to tell Cora, Drew's widow, the news of her husband's death. Mark regrets his reckless undercover plan but Oliveras comforts him with some tough love. Shepherd is able to trace Mikhail's identity and they go after him. They find his wife, Tatsiana, who is trying to run. They bring her in and she plays the crying, naive wife but they don't buy it. They threaten to charge her as an accomplice and she breaks. She sets up a meeting with Mikhail in Chinatown. He shows up but on seeing her expression, he knows something is wrong. He spots Bell and then recognises Mark. A chase ensues before they catch him. Meanwhile, Blythe asks Bell about Valwell. Turns out Valwell is one of the good guys. Early in his career, he helped get a conviction on a really risky case that no one wanted to touch and bring justice to the victims. Drew's desk is cleared and Shepherd looks sad as she takes his Little League cap. Onto the interrogation, Mikhail doesn't give them anything and doesn't even blink at the threats to his wife. To find dirt, the task force looks into the driver, Dmitry who drove Timur and Mark to Mikhail's dance hall. Fortunately, Shepherd and Bell are able to track him. They show up at his workplace and another chase ensues but Mark easily catches him. Oliveras plants some heroin on him and makes up false charges. Mark is surprised but goes with her plan. They finally find leverage – Mikhail's illegitimate daughter, Anya. As they head back to base, Mark asks about the heroin but Oliveras shuts him down. Shepherd wants to take the lead as she looks like Anya and the team agrees. Blythe plays the bad cop while Shepherd plays the good cop who cares about Anya's future. Mikhail breaks and tells them about Volchek but he doesn't know much except that he has patriotic motives. He sets up a meeting with Borys at a private airport but the task force ends up arresting a decoy. The real Borys is sitting in the cinema. A flashback shows him spotting the task force while Mikhail sets up their meeting. At present, he looks disgusted as the other cinemagoers laugh during the movie. At the end of Countdown Episode 4, Blythe promises that they will break the case. Cora arrives and begs the task force not to let Drew's sacrifice go to waste. They hold a mini-funeral for him in the office. The Episode Review So, we know two things with Countdown Episode 4. Without a doubt, Jensen Ackles is the best part of this Amazon Original. His dry humour, his sarcastic remarks and jokes are the highlights of the episodes. And when that is dialled down, like in this sombre chapter, it is sorely missed. But even without the snark, he keeps the show running as he is a good actor and it doesn't hurt that he is pretty to look at. Second, Countdown is, after all, an ensemble story but a poorly written one. We hadn't been sure, since the first 3 episodes had majorly focused on Mark and Oliveras, with a little bit of Blythe. But in Episode 4, all the task force members get enough screen time. Yet we barely learn anything about them. It is why Drew's death and the team's reaction to it don't have any impact. We do see the little filler moments such as Finau smiling at Mark's joke during the wife's interrogation and Bell checking on Shepherd. But the focus is constantly on the action, simply furthering the plot without fleshing out the rest of the task force. It doesn't help that the story is actually not that great either. Despite being the best of the best, both Mikhail and Borys spot the task force during the set-ups. Blythe makes an ambiguous threat and Valwell easily drops the report. There are many shows where the plot isn't great but it works because of the likeable characters. A shame that Countdown doesn't invest in character development. Instead, Borys and Valwell contribute more to the plot than Shepherd, Finau and Bell. The structure is all over the place and it seems that next week, Mark and Oliveras will regain the spotlight as they infiltrate a party. It is too early to tell but this show may not be for fans of Violett Beane, Elliot Knight and Uli Latukefu. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
French police arrest ‘incel' suspected of planning knife attack on women
An 18-year-old French man who claimed affiliation with the misogynist 'incel' movement has been arrested and placed under formal investigation on suspicion of planning attacks targeting women, France's national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office (PNAT) has said. The arrest on Wednesday was part of PNAT's first case linked to the 'incel' (involuntary celibate) movement, an online network of men motivated to engage in violence against women whom they believe unjustly reject their sexual or romantic advances. PNAT confirmed on Tuesday that it had opened a judicial investigation 'against a young man, aged 18, claiming to be a member of the incel movement', adding that he was being investigated for allegedly 'associating with terrorist criminals to prepare one or more crimes against people'. A source close to the investigation confirmed French media reports that the suspect was arrested near a school in the Saint-Étienne region in central France, and that the man, who was carrying two knives, was suspected of planning to attack women. Ideologies based on distrust and hatred towards women have been gaining mainstream interest worldwide over the past decade through online channels, especially social media platforms.
