A Danish man was arrested on Tuesday in an operation carried out in Aarhus, Denmark, with the assistance of PET, the Danish intelligence agency. The man is charged with conducting espionage on behalf of Iran, according to a statement released by the German Federal Prosecutor's Office.
In the same statement, authorities identified the suspect only as “Ali S.” and alleged that he was tasked by Iranian intelligence with gathering information on “Jewish localities and specific Jewish individuals” in Berlin in 2025. No further details were provided.
According to prosecutors, the suspect surveilled three properties in June, “presumably in preparation for further intelligence activities in Germany, possibly including terrorist attacks on Jewish targets.”
If this suspicion is confirmed, we are dealing with an outrageous operation. The protection of Jewish life has the highest priority for the German government.German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig
The proceedings are based on intelligence gathered by the German domestic intelligence service, the BfV (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz). The investigation is ongoing and is being handled by the BKA (Bundeskriminalamt), Germany’s federal police.
As of now, the suspect remains in the custody of Danish authorities. He is expected to be brought before a judge in Germany to determine whether he will remain in custody pending formal charges, following extradition from Denmark. However, there is no clear indication of when the extradition will occur.