Trial Begins for Afghan Interpreter in German Military Accused of Spying for Iran
An Afghan citizen employed by the Bundeswehr (German military) is being tried on charges of espionage for the Islamic Republic of Iran. He worked as a translator for the German military and is accused of disclosing state secrets and treason.
The trial of an Afghan citizen accused of spying for Iran will begin on Monday, December 30 (January 20). The 51-year-old man was employed by the German military.
The individual, referred to in news agency reports as Abdulhamid A., faces 18 counts of espionage and is alleged to have provided German state secrets to Iran’s intelligence organization.
The German military translator was arrested in January of last year, and a case against him and his wife was opened by the court in Koblenz.
The French news agency (AFP) reported on January 20 from Frankfurt (am Main) about the beginning of the trial of this Afghan citizen. His wife, Asia, is also required to answer to court on similar charges.
German security officials arrested Abdulhamid in January 2019 upon his return from a foreign trip while investigating his espionage activities.
In December of last year, judicial investigators charged Asia A., Abdulhamid’s wife, as an accomplice to her husband’s espionage activities and for supporting him. Both defendants are accused of cooperating with the intelligence organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
More Information About Espionage Activities
Abdulhamid A. worked for years as a translator and cultural advisor for the German military. The Afghan citizen allegedly provided German state information and secrets to the intelligence organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
It remains unclear what information this Afghan provided to Iranian security forces. German military officials have been prohibited from providing further details to news agencies about this case.
Abdulhamid A.’s trial will begin on January 20 behind closed doors. If the charges are confirmed, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison. Asia A.’s sentence has been announced as a maximum of 11 years.
According to a report published by the magazine Der Spiegel following Abdulhamid A.’s arrest, the investigation into his espionage activities dates back to 2017. At that time, a foreign security source informed the German military’s counterintelligence service that the Islamic Republic of Iran had an informant in the Bundeswehr (German military).
Thereafter, officials of the German military’s counterintelligence service quickly became suspicious of Abdulhamid A.’s activities. They noticed that his trips to other European Union member countries coincided with trips by a senior intelligence officer of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
To verify Abdulhamid’s espionage activities, the German military’s counterintelligence service provided him with false information, and after this information was leaked, they became certain of his collaboration with Iran’s intelligence organization.
The German military’s counterintelligence service ranks Iran alongside Russia and China as highly active countries in espionage operations in Germany.
Source: DW
