Hamburg’s 2024 Constitutional Protection Report highlights MOIS and Quds Force activity in Germany and condemns systemic repression in Iran
The 2024 Constitutional Protection Report from Hamburg provides new insights into Iranian espionage activities in Germany and highlights ongoing concerns over human rights violations in Iran. According to the report, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) coordinates most of the regime’s intelligence operations abroad, particularly in Western countries. The primary targets of these operations are the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) and its political wing, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which openly seeks to overthrow the Iranian theocracy.
The report notes, “The MEK is considered the militant arm of the NCRI,” and adds that Quds Force operatives—linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—have also been active in Germany, especially targeting Jewish and Israeli interests.
Counterintelligence data at both the federal and state levels in Germany indicate further espionage efforts targeting German institutions at home and abroad. Authorities interpret these efforts as evidence of the MOIS’s ongoing interest in foreign and security policy matters. The Quds Force is identified as a paramilitary and intelligence unit of the IRGC with a strong focus on subversive operations against Jewish and Israeli targets.
On the broader issue of human rights, the German federal government has long criticized Iran’s domestic policies. In its 16th Human Rights Policy Report, the government described the situation as “desolate,” citing systemic suppression of personal and political freedoms aimed at preserving regime power. It noted that protests are often violently suppressed and emphasized Iran’s record on executions, stating: “By the end of August 2024, at least 420 people were executed. In 2023, the UN documented 834 executions, with the real number likely higher.”
The report also condemned arbitrary arrests, coerced confessions, and routine intimidation of families of political prisoners. It criticized the lack of judicial independence and transparency, and stated that Iran’s prisons are dangerously overcrowded and poorly maintained. Internet freedom remains heavily restricted, and peaceful protests—especially those led by women—are regularly crushed.
The repression of ethnic and religious minorities is also ongoing. The Baha’i community continues to face systemic persecution, while Arab minorities are marginalized. Although the Iranian constitution grants religious freedom to Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews, in practice this freedom is heavily restricted. The report further noted gender discrimination, saying: “Despite high levels of education, women’s participation in the labor market remains low, and women’s rights defenders are frequently imprisoned.”
