Germany detains Bundeswehr employee for spying for Iran
German prosecutors say an army employee has been detained on suspicion of spying for Iranian intelligence. The German-Afghan citizen worked as a translator for the German military.
German federal prosecutors on Tuesday said an employee of the German army had been held on suspicion of spying for the Iranian intelligence service.
The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that a 50-year-old German-Afghan citizen, whose name was given as Abdul Hamid S., was a language expert and cultural adviser for the German armed forces.
“Abdul Hamid S. is strongly suspected of having worked for a foreign intelligence agency,” the intelligence officer said.
The German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that the suspect had access to sensitive information, including possible details of troop deployments in Afghanistan. It said he had worked for Iranian secret services for several years.
Germany’s military the Bundeswehr often uses native interpreters to accompany troops on patrol in Afghanistan. The man was reportedly arrested in Germany’s Rhineland region.
Read more: Denmark foils ‘Iranian intelligence agency’ attack
Intelligence officials in Germany and Europe have raised fears about what they see as increasing espionage by Iran. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency in July reported that Iran had upped its cyber warfare capabilities and posed a danger for German companies.
German has past examples of uncovering spies working for foreign agencies that made for big headlines.
In 2016, former German intelligence officer Markus Reichel was convicted of spying for both the CIA and Russian intelligence.
In 2013, Germany jailed a married couple who it found had spied for the Russian secret services for more than 20 years. The pair had been planted in the former West Germany from 1988 by the Soviet Union’s KGB and later its successor, the SVR.
rc/jil (dpa, Reuters, AP) DW
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EU sanctions Iran over thwarted attacks on European soil
Brussels has backed sanctions against Iran for its involvement in assassination attempts in France and Denmark. For some European governments, the measures are long overdue.
The EU on Tuesday approved sanctions against an Iranian ministry and two Iranian nationals for their involvement in thwarted assassination attempts in France and Denmark.
For months now, EU countries have been pressuring Brussels to enact disciplinary measures against Tehran for what they describe as hostile actions committed by a state actor.
On Wednesday, the EU confirmed that the two individuals targeted by the sanctions were Assadollah Asadi and Saeid Hashemi Moghadam. The former is a diplomat accredited to the Iranian embassy in Vienna who was arrested last year and extradited to Belgium, and the latter is a deputy chief in Iran’s Ministry for Intelligence and Security.
What was announced:
- The EU targeted Iran’s Intelligence and Security Ministry and two Iranian nationals.
- The sanctions mean the ministry and individuals’ assets were frozen. Travel bans have also been imposed.
- Two Iranian diplomats were expelled from the Netherlands in 2018, not for their direct involvement but “as a clear signal” that Iran’s probable involvement is unacceptable.
- The disciplinary measures do not stem from nor impact the Iran nuclear deal.
Read more: Germany charges Iranian diplomat with spying, conspiracy to murder opposition group in France
‘Clear signals’
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said: “The Netherlands considers it probable that Iran had a hand in the preparation or commission of assassinations and attacks on EU territory.”
The French Foreign Ministry said it sees the decision as Brussels’ determination “not to let a hostile and unacceptable act perpetrated on European soil go unanswered.”
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said: “We stand by the nuclear agreement, but on the other hand we have to have a robust foreign policy when we send clear signals that we will not accept this kind of interference on European soil.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded on Twitter by saying the sanctions would “not absolve Europe of responsibility for harboring terrorists.” Zarif accused Denmark, the Netherlands and France of accommodating members of the exiled Iranian opposition group Mujaheedin-e Khalq.
Read more: From Russia to Syria and Iran: Do EU sanctions really work?
Rogue elements?
The sanctions concern two thwarted attacks: an attempt to bomb an Iranian opposition rally in Paris and assassination attempts against Iranian Arab dissidents in Denmark.
The Netherlands has said it believes Iran was also behind two separate murders of Iranian dissidents on Dutch soil in 2015 and 2017.
For months now, Denmark has spearheaded efforts to impose disciplinary measures against Iran. Tehran has long denied involvement and described the allegations as a “series of conspiracies” perpetuated by Iranian opposition groups.
But analysts have pointed out that hard-liners in Iran’s intelligence services may plan attacks in Europe without the knowledge or control of Iran’s government led by President Hassan Rouhani.
ls/rt (AFP, dpa) DW
