Iran shuts German cultural centre, upsetting Berlin

TEHRAN — Iran shut a German language institute in the capital Tehran Tuesday, prompting condemnation from Berlin where the foreign ministry said it would summon the Iranian ambassador over the row.

The closure of the German Language Institute Tehran (DSIT) comes nearly a month after Germany banned a religious centre over its alleged ties to the Islamic republic.

"Two branches of illegal centres affiliated with the German government, which violated Iran laws, committed numerous illegal acts and extensive financial violations, were closed on Tuesday by order of the judicial authority," the Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website said.

It added that "reports of violations by other German-affiliated centres" in Iran had been received and that investigations were ongoing.

In a statement, the German foreign ministry condemned the closure of the DSIT as "unjustifiable" and called on "the new Iranian government to allow teaching to resume immediately".

"The Iranian ambassador will be summoned," it added.

The ministry said that the institute was founded in 1995 and employed 85 teachers, calling it "a popular and recognised meeting place where people work with great personal commitment under difficult conditions to promote language learning".

On July 24, Germany banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre over its alleged support for Lebanon's Iran-backed Hizbollah group, as well its relations with the Islamic republic.

Following that move, Iran summoned the German ambassador to condemn what it called the "hostile action" and branded it a "clear example of Islamophobia".

Germany's interior ministry accused the centre of presenting itself as a purely religious organisation with no political agenda but said its probe had found the contrary to be true.

In a statement, the ministry said it "banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre and its affiliated organisations throughout Germany to date, as it is an Islamist extremist organisation pursuing anti-constitutional objectives".