Trial begins for German army translator accused of spying for Iran
An Afghan citizen who was employed by the Bundeswehr (German military) is on trial on charges of spying for the Islamic Republic of Iran. He worked as a translator for the German military and is accused of revealing state secrets and treason.
The trial of an Afghan citizen accused of spying for Iran begins on Monday, January 20. The 51-year-old man was employed by the German army.
This individual, referred to in news agency reports as Abdulhamid S., has been accused of espionage in 18 cases and is said to have provided German state secrets to the Iranian intelligence agency.
The German army translator was arrested in January last year, and a case has been opened against him and his wife by the Koblenz city court.
The French news agency (AFP) reported on January 20 from Frankfurt am Main that the Afghan citizen's trial has begun. His wife, Asia, is also expected to stand trial on similar charges.
German security agents arrested Abdulhamid in January 2019 after he returned from a foreign trip and while he was being spied on.
In December last year, judicial investigators also charged Abdulhamid's wife, Asia S., with aiding and abetting her husband's espionage activities. Both are accused of collaborating with the Islamic Republic of Iran's intelligence agency.
More information about espionage activities
Abdul Hamid S. worked for many years as a translator and cultural advisor for the German army. It is alleged that this Afghan citizen provided German government information and secrets to the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
It is not yet clear what information the Afghan man provided to Iranian security forces. German military officials have been prohibited from providing further information to news agencies about the case.
Abdulhamid S.'s trial will begin behind closed doors on January 20. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison. Asia S.'s sentence is a maximum of 11 years.
According to a report published by Der Spiegel after the arrest of Abdulhamid S., the issue of tracking this individual's espionage activities dates back to 2017. At that time, a foreign security source had informed the German military's counterintelligence service that the Islamic Republic of Iran had an informant in the Bundeswehr (German army).
After that, officials from the German military counterintelligence service quickly became suspicious of Abdulhamid S.'s activities. They realized that his trips to other EU countries coincided with those of a senior intelligence officer from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The German military counterintelligence service provided Abdul Hamid with false information to ensure his espionage activities, and after this information was leaked, it became certain that he was cooperating with the Iranian intelligence agency.
The German military's counterintelligence service considers Iran, along with Russia and China, to be among the countries most active in espionage in Germany.
Ban: DW
