Meet Ali Hassan Sarwari: The Afghan-Danish Man Accused of Spying for Iran in Europe

On June 26, Danish police, in coordination with German authorities and with intelligence support from Mossad, arrested an Afghan-Danish man in Aarhus, a city in western Denmark. The man is accused of collecting photos, evidence, and detailed information about Israeli and Jewish sites across Europe—particularly in Germany—for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), specifically the Quds Force. He was transferred to Germany and is currently in custody there. German authorities have identified him only as "Ali S," and no official statement has disclosed his full identity or further personal details.

However, sources speaking to Independent Persian identified the suspect as Haji Ali Hassan Sarwari, a 55-year-old native of Behsud in Maidan Wardak, Afghanistan. He has reportedly lived in Denmark for about two decades. One acquaintance of Sarwari described him as a businessman and a respected figure among the Afghan immigrant community in Denmark. The source claimed no knowledge of his ties to Iranian intelligence but confirmed that Sarwari frequently traveled to Iran.

Ali Hassan Sarwari, born in Behsud district of Maidan Wardak province in Afghanistan, has been living in Denmark for nearly 20 years.

Another source stated that Sarwari was a member of Hezb-e Wahdat, a Shiite political party led by Abdul Ali Mazari, during Afghanistan's civil war in the 1990s. According to photos posted on his Facebook page from previous trips to Afghanistan before the Taliban's return to power, Sarwari met several times with Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the People's Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan. It remains unclear whether he had any formal association with the party, which was part of the Afghan government before the fall of the republic.

Reports in German outlets Bild and Der Spiegel revealed that German and Danish intelligence agencies had been monitoring Sarwari for some time, tracking his movements between countries such as Germany, Turkey, and Iran. Investigators also intercepted phone conversations between Sarwari and a Quds Force officer, in which he was reportedly given orders in early 2025 to take photos and videos of Israeli and Jewish sites—particularly in Germany.

Bild reported that Sarwari traveled with his wife and children from Denmark to Berlin between June 3 and 5, 2025. During that trip, he took photos and videos of ten locations, including the German-Israeli Society in central Berlin, the German Ethics Council, and an Israeli restaurant. After collecting this material, he traveled to Turkey, where he allegedly used forged documents to cross into Iran and share his findings with his handlers. He returned to Denmark on June 22 and was arrested a few days later. The last post on his Facebook page, dated Thursday, June 26—the day German media reported his arrest—included photos of himself with his wife and daughters, celebrating their school graduation.

Meanwhile, Israeli media outlet Ynetnews reported that Mossad played a significant role in tracking and facilitating Sarwari’s arrest, and shared intelligence with Danish and German authorities. According to German officials cited by the outlet, Sarwari also photographed the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the residence of its president, Dr. Josef Schuster.

In a statement published on the Council’s official website, Schuster described the arrest of the “suspected spy linked to Iran’s terrorist regime” as a clear warning. He thanked Danish and German security agencies for their efforts, noting that Sarwari had long been under surveillance. Schuster emphasized that “the arm of the mullahs’ terror has reached Germany and Europe,” and urged the German government to take not just a vigilant, but an active political stance against Iran.

One week after Sarwari’s arrest and extradition, Germany’s Foreign Ministry summoned Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, the Iranian ambassador in Berlin, declaring, “We will not tolerate any threat to Jewish life in Germany.”

Germany’s federal prosecutor confirmed that Sarwari’s case is based on findings from the country’s domestic intelligence service. He is expected to appear in court, accused of receiving orders from the Quds Force to gather intelligence on Jewish-populated areas and specific Jewish individuals in Berlin.

The Guardian reported that Sarwari is suspected of “preparing for further intelligence activities in Germany, including potential terrorist attacks on Jewish targets.”

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that if the accusations are confirmed, the case would once again prove that “Iran remains a threat to Jews around the world.” Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig called the case “a shocking operation,” adding that “protecting Jewish life is the highest priority of the German government.”

Although Sarwari’s charges have not yet been confirmed in court, and his defense has not been made public, Iran’s Quds Force has a known history of recruiting Afghans for espionage and military purposes. The Fatemiyoun Division, which played a prominent role in Syria’s civil war, consisted of around 30,000 Afghan fighters, primarily drawn from Afghan refugees living in Iran.