Germany summons Iran envoy over plot to kill Jewish leader

Iranian officials have described the accusations that led to the verdict as baseless.

By JNS

Following the conviction in Germany of two men who’d planned to murder a Jewish community leader for Iran, Berlin on Monday summoned that country’s ambassador for a dressing-down.

The German Foreign Ministry announced the summons for Majid Nili Ahmadabadi on X on Monday, four days after a court in Hamburg had sentenced the two men, both of Afghan descent, to prison terms of 8.5 years and 4.5 years for plotting to murder Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Volker Beck, president of the German-Israel Society.

Iranian intelligence recruited one of the Afghans, who is a Danish citizen, the court determined before handing him the heavier sentence.

Iranian officials have described the accusations that led to the verdict as baseless, according to Iranian media cited by Reuters.

The two men were identified in the German media as Ali S., the Danish national, and Afghan national Tawab M. They were arrested last year.

According to the court, Ali S. received instructions in early 2025 to gather intelligence on Schuster, Beck and the Jewish businesses in preparation for attacks.

The court concluded that he had been recruited by Iranian intelligence and was acting under its direction in preparing terrorist operations on German soil.

Both verdicts are subject to appeal.