Germany charges army staffer with spying for Iran

A German-Afghan who worked for years as a translator and adviser to the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) has been charged with treason for handing state secrets to Iranian intelligence, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Abdul S., whose full name was not given in line with German privacy laws, is suspected of providing Iranian intelligence 18 classified documents, prosecutors said.

German media outlet Spiegel Online reported at the time of the arrest that the man had access to "sensitive information on troops in Afghanistan."

The German government lodged an official complaint with Iran when the 50-year-old was arrested in January. Iran denied the allegations. 

The man is expected to go on trial soon.

The Bundeswehr has about 1,300 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led noncombat mission Resolute Support.

According to German intelligence, Iran, Russia, China and Turkey are the main countries engaged in espionage in Germany.

cw/rt (AP, dpa)

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