Closure Seen as Retaliation for German Ban on Islamic Center
21 August 2023
Iranian authorities have shut down a German language school in Tehran, citing unspecified legal violations. The closure, reported by the judiciary-affiliated Misan website, involved two “illegal” institutions run by Germany.
Eyewitnesses reported that security forces sealed off the German Language Institute in Tehran (DSIT), founded by the German embassy in 1995. Social media images showed a significant police presence outside the school.
Nurnews, an outlet close to Iran’s Security Council, suggested the closure was retaliation for Germany’s recent ban on the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH). German authorities had deemed the IZH “an important propaganda centre for Iran in Europe” and confiscated its assets in nationwide raids on July 24.
In response to the IZH ban, Iran summoned the German ambassador, and the organization filed a complaint against the decision last week.
This incident further strains already tense relations between Berlin and Tehran. Several German citizens, including some with Iranian passports, are currently imprisoned in Iran. Critics accuse Tehran of using foreigners as political bargaining chips, a claim Iran denies, typically citing espionage charges.
The situation highlights ongoing diplomatic tensions, with Iran’s justice system facing international scrutiny. In early 2022, German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmah was sentenced to death on terrorism charges, which his relatives strongly deny.
