German Court Sentences Two for Plotting to Kill Leader of German Jewish Community for Iran

Usnews • October 15, 2026

FRANKFURT, Oct 15 (Reuters) - A German court ⁠on ⁠Thursday handed two ⁠men prison sentences of up to 8-1/2 years for planning to kill the leader of a Jewish organisation in ‌Germany, saying one man ‌had been steered by Iran's intelligence service.

One man, previously ⁠identified ⁠as Danish national Ali S., was sentenced to eight years and six months for preparing an assassination and aggravated arson, judges ruled.

"The court is convinced that the defendant, S., was recruited by the Iranian secret service and integrated into it ⁠to carry ⁠out state- terrorist activities ⁠in Germany under Iran’s direction," the court in the northern city of Hamburg said in a ⁠statement.

The Iranian Embassy in Germany did not immediately respond to a request for .

Another man, previously named as Afghan national Tawab M., was sentenced to four years and six months for ⁠his role in the plot.

The verdicts, which can be appealed, ⁠come as a war with Iran launched by the United States and Israel in February has spilled over into an escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.

German federal prosecutors brought criminal charges against the two men in May.

The court said that in early 2025, S. was tasked with gathering information on the ⁠President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and the Chairman of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck.

He was also instructed to spy on two Jewish grocers in Berlin, they added.

(Writing by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

Thomson Reuters .

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German Court Sentences Two for Iran-Backed Assassination Plot Against Jewish Leaders On October 15, 2026, a Hamburg court sentenced two men for plotting to assassinate Jewish leaders in Germany on behalf of Iran's intelligence service. The mastermind, a 54-year-old Danish national, received an eight-and-a-half year sentence, while his accomplice, a 43-year-old Afghan man, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years. The court found that the Danish man was tasked with gathering intelligence on prominent figures, including Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Volker Beck, president of the German-Israeli Society. The plot included plans for an arson attack on a kosher deli in Berlin. The defendants were arrested in Aarhus, Denmark, and extradited to Germany. The Iranian embassy in Berlin has denied the allegations, calling them unfounded. The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding threats to Jewish communities in Europe amid rising antisemitism and geopolitical tensions. 7 sources 33

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Denmark Germany Iran Israel Saudi Arabia United States Yemen