Latest news with #German-IsraeliSociety
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Man arrested for ‘spying' for Iran before possible attacks in Germany
A Danish man has been arrested on suspicion of spying in Germany on behalf of Iran, an allegation swiftly denied by the Iranian embassy in Berlin. German prosecutors on Tuesday said the man, identified only as Ali S under German privacy law, was suspected of conducting the surveillance 'in preparation of further intelligence activities in Germany, possibly including terrorist attacks on Jewish targets'. It added that the individual was suspected of receiving the espionage orders from 'an Iranian intelligence service'. German and Danish authorities said the man had been arrested in Denmark but would be extradited to Germany. The Iranian embassy in Berlin decried what it called 'unfounded and dangerous accusations'. 'Previous discussions with relevant German authorities have already highlighted that certain third parties are attempting to divert public perceptions from the actual events through artificial staging,' the embassy said in a Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, said Iran's ambassador had been summoned after the arrest. 'If this suspicion were confirmed, it would be an outrageous incident that would once again demonstrate that Iran is a threat to Jews all over the world,' Wadephul said during a visit to Odesa, Ukraine, shortly after visiting a synagogue there. According to Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, the suspect took photos of at least three buildings in Berlin in June. They included the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society, which has lobbied the European Union to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a 'terrorist' organisation, and a building where the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, was said to occasionally stay. Der Spiegel reported that investigators believe the suspect was working on behalf of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the was arrested in the Danish city of Aarhus by local police last week and was awaiting extradition to Germany. During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country was preparing 'in case Iran targets Israeli or Jewish institutions'. He did not provide further details at the time. Berlin has been a key ally of Israel and vocally supported the attacks on Iran, which began with surprise strikes on June 13.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany foils Iranian plot to attack Jews
Germany has foiled an Iranian plot to attack Israelis and Jewish community leaders. Jens Rommel, the federal prosecutor, said police had arrested 'Ali S', a Danish citizen of Afghan origin, on suspicion of carrying out surveillance of potential targets. Ali S is accused of taking photographs of buildings, including the German-Israeli Society and a house linked to Josef Schuster, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. According to Der Spiegel, the German magazine, Ali S was recruited by the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite Iranian military unit formerly led by Qassim Soleimani and now by Esmail Ghaani. Soleimani was assassinated by the United States in 2020. Ghaani is understood be alive, despite reports that he was killed last month during the Iran-Israel missile exchanges. The Quds Force reports directly to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran. Mr Schuster said he was shocked by the news of an apparent attempt on his life. 'The arrest of a suspected spy for the Iranian terror regime, who is said to have spied on Jewish and Israeli facilities in Germany, is a clear alarm signal,' he said. 'This successful interception must be a final signal, to all those who underestimate the hatred and destruction fantasies held by the Mullah regime towards Israel and Jews across the world.' Volker Beck, the president of the German-Israeli Society, said he wished to thank the German security services for their vigilance. He added: 'That Iran prepares and plans these attacks on Jewish representatives and pro-Israel activists is a clear sign of the terrorist nature of this regime.' The arrest came after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire last week, ending a 12-day conflict that killed an estimated 1,000 Iranians and at least 29 Israelis. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, launched a salvo of airstrikes on key Iranian military facilities and its nuclear programme, which Israel regards as an existential threat. The conflict ended when Donald Trump, the US president, struck three Iranian nuclear facilities on the ninth day of the war and secured a ceasefire. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
DW
01-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Germany: Danish citizen arrested for alleged Iran spying – DW – 07/01/2025
The man is suspected to have taken photos of buildings, possibly planning an attack on Jewish targets. Germany recently bolstered security around Jewish institutions for fear of such an attack taking place. A Danish citizen has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran, German prosecutors said Tuesday. According to the prosecutors, the man's suspected aim was to collect information on Jewish sites and individuals in Berlin. The man allegedly spied on three properties in June 2025, with him preparing for further intelligence activities, possibly terrorist attacks on Jewish targets, according to prosecutors. The statement did not specify the sites and individuals involved, although a report by German magazine said the suspect took pictures of houses, including the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society (DIG), a Germany-wide organization that promotes relations with Israel. The report also said the man had received orders from the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards' overseas arm that supports militant groups classified as terrorist organizations in Germany, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as the Houthis in Yemen. Prosecutors said the man had "received an order from an Iranian intelligence service to collect information on Jewish localities and specific Jewish individuals" in the German capital. In accordance with German privacy law, the man was identified only as Ali S. His arrest took place in the Danish city of Aarhus in cooperation with local police, according to the prosecutors. The Iranian embassy has not yet responded to the allegations. While the ceasefire between Iran and Israel seems to be holding, Western intelligence agencies believe Iran is still trying to carry out attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in Western countries. In Germany, where Jewish sites are often guarded by constant police presence due to fears of attacks, security was bolstered further after the war between Israel and Iran broke out. Germany is one of Israel's closest allies, while its relations with Iran are rather tense. In October 2024, all three Iranian consulates in Germany were shut in response to Iran's execution of Iranian-German prisoner Jamshid Sharmahd, leaving the Iranian embassy in Berlin as Tehran's only official representation in the country.
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First Post
01-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Germany arrests Danish national suspected of spying on Jewish targets for Iran
German prosecutors said the man, who they named as only Ali S under German privacy law, spied on three properties in June in preparation for further intelligence activities, including possibly attacks on Jewish targets read more A Danish national has been arrested in Denmark on suspicion of spying for Iran by collecting information on Jewish sites and individuals in Berlin, and will be extradited to Germany, German and Danish authorities said on Tuesday. German prosecutors said the man, who they named as only Ali S under German privacy law, spied on three properties in June in preparation for further intelligence activities, including possibly attacks on Jewish targets. He is suspected of having received his orders from Iranian intelligence services in early 2025, prosecutors said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Germany's foreign ministry said the Iranian ambassador had been summoned on Tuesday. 'If this suspicion were confirmed, it would be an outrageous incident that would once again demonstrate that Iran is a threat to Jews all over the world,' said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking after visiting a Jewish synagogue in the southern city of Odesa during a visit to Ukraine. The Iranian embassy in Berlin rejected the allegations as 'unfounded and dangerous accusations' that it said appeared designed to distract from Israeli attacks on Iran. 'Previous discussions with relevant German authorities have already highlighted that certain third parties are attempting to divert public perceptions from the actual events through artificial staging,' it said in a statement. The foreign ministry in Tehran did not respond to a call for comment. According to Der Spiegel magazine, the suspect took photos of buildings including the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society and a building where the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, was said to occasionally stay. After being transferred from neighbouring Denmark, the suspect will be brought before an investigating judge of Germany's Federal Court of Justice, prosecutors said. The suspect was remanded in custody until July 23, pending extradition to Germany, Denmark's PET national security and intelligence service said in a statement. During last month's 12-day war between Iran and Israel, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Germany was prepared for Iran targeting Israeli or Jewish targets in the country, without going into detail. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The German-Israeli Society called on the European Union to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation. 'The extended arms of Iranian terror must have no place in Germany,' it said in a statement. Schuster called it a 'clear alarm signal' in an emailed statement. 'The German government should not only remain vigilant but also take active political action against the Iranian regime —there can be no other consequence for this allegedly planned terrorist attack,' he said. The Danish justice ministry and foreign ministry both referred enquiries to the Danish intelligence service.
Local Germany
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
Germany says suspect arrested for allegedly spying for Iran
The Danish suspect, identified only as Ali S., was arrested in the city of Aarhus by local police on Thursday, the German federal prosecutor's office said in a statement. The man was "strongly suspected of having worked for an intelligence service", they said. Ali S. had in early 2025 "received an order from an Iranian intelligence service to collect information on Jewish localities and specific Jewish individuals in Berlin". To this end, he allegedly scoped out three properties in June. The suspected reconnaissance work was "presumably in preparation of further intelligence activities in Germany, possibly including terrorist attacks on Jewish targets", the statement said. According to German weekly Der Spiegel , the suspect had taken photos of buildings including the seat of the German-Israeli Society in Berlin. Investigators believe Ali S. was working on behalf of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Der Spiegel reported. Germany has been on high alert for possible attacks against Jews since Palestinian militant group Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza. In September, German police shot dead a young Austrian man known to have had ties to radical Islam as he was preparing to carry out an attack on the Israeli consulate in Munich. German authorities have also been on alert for potential Iranian espionage activity on their soil. READ ALSO: Germany boosts protection of Israeli and Jewish sites amid Iran threat A German-Iranian national was jailed in late 2023 over a plot to attack a synagogue in the western German city of Bochum in 2022. Advertisement Authorities said the plot was planned with the help of "Iranian state agencies".
