Left-Extremist Endeavours

Priority aim: spying on
regime opponents
"Culture Associations" and
anti-MEK publications
Severe harassment as a
lever
IV. Activities of Intelligence Services of Countries
in the Near/Middle East
Also, the services of several Near/Middle East countries continue
to pursue intelligence activities in, and against, Germany. Their
intelligence interest covers the classical areas of espionage - politics,
the military, industry, science and technology - and, to a
particular extent, infiltration of, and spying on, organizations or
persons in Germany which/who are in opposition to the government
of their respective country of origin. In order to achieve
these ends, they are also prepared to use force which may even
include acts of (state-sponsored) terrorism. Also, they are interested
in the subject of proliferation.
1. Iranian Intelligence Services
As before, the priority aim of the Iranian Intelligence Service
VEVAK (Ministry for Intelligence and Security) is to combat Iranian
dissidents living in Germany. In departure from the violent
approach taken until the mid-1990s - inter alia, attempts on the
lives of leading opposition politicians in Western foreign countries,
including Germany 175) - VEVAK activities were, as in the
previous years, focused on the political neutralization of opposition
groups and their anti-regime activities. The "People’s Mujahiddin
of Iran" (MEK) and its political arm which is active worldwide,
the "Nationaler Widerstandsrat Iran" (NWRI - "National
Resistance Council of Iran"), continued to be the focus of the
intelligence interest of the Iranian intelligence service.
In its fight against the Iranian opposition-in-exile, VEVAK makes
use of so-called "culture associations". These are cover organizations
founded as directed by VEVAK and acting in accordance
with Iran’s interests and wishes. In addition, the Iranian service
initiates anti-MEK publications which in part are published by
former MEK activists and have the aim of persuading the readers
of these publications to turn their backs upon this organization.
For spying on the MEK, the Iranian intelligence service also recruits
supporters of that organization and other Iranian nationals.
Recruitment mostly takes place during visits by exiled Iranians to
Iran. When in that country, they will be approached by VEVAK
and, in instances, under threat of massive harassment against
themselves or their relatives in Iran, are compelled to co-operate
with the intelligence service.
On 24 November, the trial began in the Berlin Higher Regional
Court of Appeal against a 36-year old Iranian national living in
Germany for a number of years and arrested in Berlin in July. He
was under strong suspicion to have spied, as a supposed MEK
�����