German prosecutors have announced the arrest of an Iraqi man who arrived in Germany in 2022, accusing him of preparing terrorist attacks under the direction of the terrorist organization ISIS.
In a statement, federal prosecutors said the suspect, identified only as Mahmoud A. in accordance with German privacy laws, was arrested on Wednesday in Esslingen, near Stuttgart in southwestern Germany.
A judge has ordered that he be held in custody on suspicion of membership in a foreign terrorist organization, pending a possible indictment.
The suspect faces charges of joining ISIS in Iraq in May 2016 or earlier and fighting for the extremist group. Prosecutors stated that Mahmoud A. arrived in Germany in October 2022 and prepared to carry out attacks on behalf of ISIS.
However, they did not specify whether any specific attacks had been planned.
In May, German security agencies announced that armed Islamists affiliated with ISIS are attempting to stir up trouble in Germany ahead of the UEFA European Championship (Euro 2024).
According to security sources on Tuesday, recent calls for “terrorist violence” disseminated by the ISIS branch in Khorasan Province are part of an ongoing propaganda campaign aimed at inciting chaos and radicalizing lone wolves.
The group had earlier posted an image resembling a video game showing a man holding a firearm inside a stadium. A similar post had emerged a few weeks prior, coinciding with matches in the UEFA Champions League.
