According to German media reports, the trial of two men accused of spying for the Islamic Republic of Iran and identifying Jewish targets and supporters of Israel in Germany opened on Friday, June 26, 2026, at the Hamburg Higher Regional Court.
Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office has charged the two men with conducting intelligence activities for Tehran and participating in the identification of potential targets for violent attacks. According to the prosecution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and specifically the Quds Force, is suspected of being the entity behind these activities.
According to the indictment, one of the defendants, a 54-year-old Danish citizen of Afghan origin, was tasked in early 2025 with gathering information about a number of Jewish figures and supporters of Israel in Germany. Among the alleged targets, the names of Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Volker Beck, President of the German-Israeli Society, have been mentioned.
German media have reported that the lead defendant is also accused of scouting two kosher food stores in Berlin and exploring the possibility of attacking them. The charges against him include conducting intelligence activities for a foreign power, activity aimed at sabotage, and attempting to participate in serious crimes including murder and arson.
The second defendant, a 42-year-old man, is accused of assisting the lead defendant and participating in the alleged planning of an attack. Both defendants were arrested in Denmark and subsequently extradited to Germany. At the opening session, neither defendant responded to the charges against them.
Reports also indicate that the identification and arrest of the defendants was carried out with the assistance of foreign intelligence services. Some German sources have pointed to international intelligence cooperation and a possible role played by Mossad in providing initial information. The Islamic Republic of Iran has denied the charges.
HANA Human Rights Organization expresses concern over reports of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s alleged use of extraterritorial networks to target individuals and civil, religious, or political groups in Europe. HANA stresses that any transnational operation aimed at threatening, pursuing, intimidating, or laying the groundwork for violence against individuals constitutes a violation of the fundamental principles of human rights, personal security, and the rule of law.