Germany carries out raids and bans a group accused of links to Iran and support for Hezbollah

Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The German government has banned an organization accused of being an “outpost” of Iran’s theocracy, promoting the ideology of its leadership and supporting Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group. Police raided 53 properties around the country on Wednesday, including a prominent mosque in Hamburg. The ban of the Islamic Center Hamburg, or IZH, and five suborganizations followed searches in November. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser says evidence gathered in the investigation “confirmed the serious suspicions to such a degree that we ordered the ban today.” She says IZH promoted an extremist, totalitarian ideology while supporting Hezbollah and spreading aggressive antisemitism. The IZH has said it condemns violence and has always advocated peace, tolerance and interreligious dialogue.