German prosecutors have brought criminal charges against a Danish and an Afghan national suspected of helping to plot the killing of prominent leaders of Jewish organisations in Germany on behalf of Iran.
Details of the Charges
The defendants, identified only as Danish national Ali S. and Afghan national Tawab M. in line with German data privacy laws, face charges of involvement in attempted murder. Ali S. is accused of working for the intelligence service of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, maintaining close ties with their special unit, the Quds Force, according to the prosecutors' statement.
Targets of the Plot
The prosecutors said that in early 2025, Ali S. was tasked with gathering information on the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and the Chairman of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck. He was also instructed to spy on two Jewish grocers in Berlin.
"All of this was intended to facilitate the planning of murder and arson attacks in Germany," the prosecutors stated. Ali S. scouted out various locations in Berlin last year and sought accomplices for the attacks. By May 2025, he was in contact with Tawab M., who allegedly said he was prepared to procure a weapon for an unidentified third person and arrange for him to try to kill Beck.
Diplomatic Fallout
After Ali S. was arrested last year, Iran's ambassador was summoned to the German Foreign Ministry. The Iranian Embassy at the time rejected what it called "unfounded and dangerous allegations" of an apparent plan for an attack on Jewish facilities.
Wider Security Concerns
Earlier this week, Germany's domestic intelligence agency warned that Iran could step up operations against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe even once the conflict with the US and Israel subsides. The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) told Euractiv: "The BfV assesses that, following the end of the war, the Iranian regime could deploy its intelligence services to track down and target opponents of the regime, including (pro-)Jewish, (pro-)Israeli and US targets, Iranian dissidents, and other individuals deemed 'traitors'."
