German Jewish cyclist detained in Iran on espionage charges

His arrest occurred sometime in 2024, but Iran only disclosed it publicly on Saturday, as the regime faces ongoing Israeli and American strikes on its nuclear facilities.

By Jewish Breaking News

Iranian Revolutionary Guards have arrested a German Jewish cyclist near the country’s Arak nuclear reactor, accusing him of gathering intelligence on missile sites and military installations while touring the country.

Marek Kaufmann was detained while cycling through Markazi province after being spotted near restricted military sites marked with warning signs.

Iranian officials say he was gathering intelligence on missile silos, drone routes, and airbases on behalf of Israel. Investigators allegedly found memory cards with images of missile launchers hidden in his bicycle.

His arrest occurred sometime in 2024, but Iran only disclosed it publicly on Saturday as the regime faces ongoing Israeli and American strikes on its nuclear facilities.

Kaufmann is currently being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison, with the German embassy aware of his location.

Iranian state media released a heavily edited four-minute video showing Kaufmann in cycling gear. In the footage, he acknowledges being near a military area where photography was prohibited and admits to sending his location to a friend.

At one point, Kaufmann says his Garmin smartwatch “told him to take a detour” into the restricted area.

The narrator accuses Kaufmann of receiving instructions from “American and Jewish commanders” and that his navigation was being remotely controlled.

According to Iran International, the narrator is Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour, who was sanctioned by the United States in 2022 for working with Iranian intelligence agencies to produce forced confessions.

Kaufmann’s case is part of a broader wave of foreign detentions since Israel began striking Iran on June 13. In recent days, a European national in northwestern Iran was reportedly arrested for allegedly attempting to spy on sensitive areas.

Two other foreign nationals were also detained in Karaj, west of Tehran, accused of working as Mossad agents who shared locations of state media offices and a government official’s residence with a handler in Germany.