Individuals Accused of Gang Rape of Iranian Refugee in Germany Identified as Iranian-Origin

Following the gang rape of a 30-year-old Iranian male refugee in a city in western Germany, officials in the country did not rule out a political motive from the accused. Hagen police on Monday, September 19, identified four detained suspects as being of Iranian origin. The magazine Spiegel also described these individuals as "supporters of the Islamic Republic government." The police did not release further details on the matter. Authorities announced that four individuals have been arrested, and due to the possibility of a political motive, the German intelligence agency has taken over the case. Officials did not comment on the nature of the potential political motive. German media reported on Sunday evening, September 18, that a day earlier, an Iranian refugee was raped in an abandoned former brewery building in the city of Isilon in the Sauerland region. According to reports, local residents heard screams from a building on "Grüner Tal" street in Isilon, near Dortmund, around 11:30 PM on Saturday and alerted the police. Officers arrived at the scene and found a 30-year-old injured man, who was then taken to the hospital. Simultaneously, police used a helicopter to search the nearby forests and successfully arrested four suspects, but two others remain at large. The ages of the arrested individuals are reported to be 24, 34, 42, and 46. Hagen police on Monday, September 19, refrained from providing further details in a call to Radio Farda but issued a new statement indicating that the four suspects identified themselves as Iranian-origin citizens of both the Netherlands and Denmark. They are expected to appear in Hagen District Court on Monday afternoon. The German magazine Spiegel reported that it has obtained information indicating that the gang rape of the Iranian male refugee in a city in western Germany occurred with a political motive, with the suspects being supporters of the Islamic Republic and the victim being an opponent of the Iranian government. Spiegel noted that the incident began after a political dispute between the parties, and the suspects intended to humiliate the victim. It was previously announced that due to the possibility of a political motive, the German intelligence agency is also involved in handling this case. This news comes amid escalating tensions between some far-right groups in Germany and refugees from Muslim countries. Consequently, the police in their recent statement rejected any foreign-hostile motive in the recent assault. Incidents such as the recent knife attack by a Muslim migrant have contributed to this situation. It is estimated that around 5.5 million Muslims live in Germany, with about three million of them being citizens of this country of approximately 83 million people. Poll results indicate that the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" has seen a rise in popularity in recent months, becoming a serious challenge for the centrist coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.