Criminal10/17/2026

Two People Convicted in Germany of Preparing Attacks Against Jewish Targets

The Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg sentenced Danish citizen Ali S. to eight and a half years in prison and Afghan citizen Tawab M. to four and a half years in prison. The court determined that they had prepared attacks against Jewish and pro-Israel targets in Germany on Iran’s behalf.

Key facts

•Court: Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg
•The ruling was published on October 16, 2026
•Ali S.: 8 years and 6 months in prison
•Tawab M.: 4 years and 6 months in prison
•Arrests: June and November 2025
•The case number and applicable statutory provisions are not mentioned in the source

What attacks were planned?

Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, was one of the main targets. Another target was Volker Beck, president of the German-Israeli Society and a former Green Party member of the Bundestag. According to the Federal Public Prosecutor General, information was also gathered about two Jewish food merchants in Berlin, and Ali S. prepared a plan to set fire to a kosher food store.

The role of those convicted

The court determined that Iranian intelligence had recruited Ali S. to carry out terrorist activity on German soil. According to the prosecution’s account, he worked for the intelligence service of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and maintained close ties with the Quds Force. In early 2025, he gathered information about potential targets that was needed to prepare murders and arson attacks.

Preparation for the assassination attempt and the arrests

Preparations for the attack on Volker Beck reached the stage of searching for a weapon and an operative. Ali S. contacted Tawab M., who agreed to transfer a weapon to a third person and recruit him to attempt the assassination. Ali S. was arrested in Denmark in June 2025, and Tawab M. in November of the same year; both were subsequently extradited to Germany.

Why did the court view the case as particularly significant?

The court noted that the selection of the targets was intended not only to harm specific individuals but also to intimidate the Jewish community and supporters of Israel in Germany. Beck’s application to participate in the proceedings as a private accessory prosecutor was rejected because the defendants’ actions had not gone beyond the preparatory stage. The Iranian Embassy had previously described the allegations as baseless; the source does not report its response to the ruling.

What this means for you

The decision shows that preparatory acts—gathering information about targets and searching for a weapon and an operative—can lead to lengthy prison sentences even before any attack is carried out. For residents of Israel and Israel-affiliated organizations abroad, the case also confirms that law-enforcement authorities in Europe treat threats directed at Jewish and pro-Israel targets as a matter of national security.

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Case analysis based on court rulings