Denmark arrests a person needed in Germany for allegedly gathering info on Jews for Iran

[ad_1] BERLIN (AP) — A person suspected of gathering info on Jewish places and people in Berlin for Iranian intelligence, presumably with a view to assaults, has been arrested in Denmark, German prosecutors mentioned Tuesday.

The Danish nationwide, recognized solely as Ali S. consistent with German privateness guidelines, was arrested on Thursday within the Danish metropolis of Aarhus, federal prosecutors mentioned in a press release.

The person was tasked by an Iranian intelligence service early this yr with gathering info on “Jewish localities and particular Jewish people” in Berlin, prosecutors mentioned. They didn’t elaborate.

He spied on three properties in June, “presumably in preparation of additional intelligence actions in Germany, presumably together with terrorist assaults on Jewish targets,” prosecutors mentioned.

German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig mentioned that “if this suspicion is confirmed, we're coping with an outrageous operation,” including in a press release that “the safety of Jewish life has the very best precedence for the German authorities.”

German safety authorities stepped up safety for Jewish and Israeli services after a 12-day war broke out between Israel and Iran in June.

The suspect is accused of working for an intelligence service of a overseas energy. The knowledge resulting in his arrest got here from Germany’s home intelligence service, prosecutors mentioned.

He shall be introduced earlier than a decide in Germany to find out whether or not he’s stored in custody pending formal expenses after extradition from Denmark. It wasn’t instantly clear when that may occur.

Iranian Ambassador Majid Nili Ahmadabadi was summoned to the German International Ministry after prosecutors introduced the arrest.

The Iranian Embassy in Berlin rejected what it referred to as “unfounded and harmful allegations” of an obvious plan for an assault on Jewish services. It mentioned in an emailed assertion that they “look like a part of a deliberate marketing campaign” to divert consideration from “the latest aggression of the Israeli regime towards Iranian territory” and the killing of Iranians.

Germany is a staunch ally of Israel and has a historical past of tense relations with Tehran, although it has been one of many three main European powers making an attempt to engage Iran in diplomacy over its nuclear program.

In October, Germany ordered the closure of all three Iranian Consulates within the nation in response to the Iranian judiciary’s announcement of the execution of Iranian German prisoner Jamshid Sharmahd , who lived in the USA and was kidnapped in Dubai in 2020 by Iranian safety forces. That left the Islamic Republic with solely its embassy in Berlin.

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