TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian authorities on Tuesday closed down the last language institute certified by the German Embassy, local media said, in retaliation for the shuttering of Islamic centers in the European country.
A report by Nournews.ir, believed to be close to Iran’s security bodies, published a photo of police forces taking down the sign showcasing the establishment’s name. The Institute For Teaching German Language was established in the capital in 1995, according to the embassy.
Mizanonline.ir, a news website affiliated with the country’s judiciary, said judicial authorities ordered the closure of the institute’s two posts, located in separate Tehran neighborhoods, calling them “illegal centers affiliated with the German government” that “breached Iran’s law, committed various illegal actions and extensive financial violations.” The report also said authorities would investigate possible infractions by other German-affiliated centers, without elaborating.
Its closure came after German authorities shut down the Islamic Center Hamburg, and five sub-organizations, in July, accusing it of being an outpost of Iran’s theocracy, promoting the ideology of its leadership and supporting Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.
German police also raided 53 properties around the country. The Imam Ali Mosque in Hamburg, the group’s most prominent facility, was among the properties raided.
Hezbollah and Israel have been trading near-daily exchanges of fire across the Lebanon-Israel border since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza broke out in October. Iran does not recognize Israel and supports anti-Israeli militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
In 1995, Iranian authorities shut down Tehran’s Goethe International Institute, which was part of over 100 sites around the world promoting German culture, language and education.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry condemned the language school closure, saying that there was “nothing to justify” it and that “language exchange is the basis of mutual understanding.”
It said in a statement that it was summoning Iran’s ambassador in Berlin and called on Iran’s new government to allow teaching to resume immediately.
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