A court in Hamburg, Germany, has sentenced two men to prison over an Iran-linked plot targeting prominent Jewish and pro-Israel figures. The main defendant received eight years and six months, while his alleged accomplice was sentenced to four years and six months.
Who Were the Targets?
The court found that the men gathered information about Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Volker Beck, head of the German-Israeli Society.
The case also involved preparations for an arson attack on a kosher food shop in Berlin. Authorities said the surveillance was intended to support planned attacks against Jewish and pro-Israel targets.
What Was Iran’s Alleged Role?
According to the court’s findings, the main defendant acted on instructions linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and its overseas operations unit, the Quds Force. The second defendant was convicted for his role in the alleged assassination plot.
Both men had been arrested in Denmark in 2025 before being transferred to Germany for trial. Defence lawyers had sought acquittals.
Iran’s embassy previously rejected the allegations as unfounded. The case has added to concerns in Germany about threats against Jewish communities and alleged foreign intelligence operations.
