TEHRAN– A putative language school endorsed by the German embassy in Tehran funded underground entertainment, illicitly provided scholarships to students, and helped employ agents for the German government, according to information obtained by the Tehran Times. 

Earlier this month, two branches of the German Language Institute (DSIT) were closed following orders from the Iranian judiciary. The Tehran Times has gathered information suggesting that the language school functioned as a covert operation for the German government to influence Iranian citizens and advance Germany's political agenda in Iran. 

The Tehran Times understands that the DSIT spent half a million Euros annually to support music, film, and entertainment groups aiming to bypass the scrutiny of Iran’s Ministry of Culture, which must review and certify all cultural content before it can be distributed. Much of the material funded by this supposed language institute conflicted with Iranian social and cultural values.

The money came from the Goethe-Institut, an organization officially financed by the German government that has over a hundred branches globally. While it presents itself as an independent entity dedicated to promoting the German language and culture, numerous reports indicate that the Goethe-Institut frequently functions as a political arm of the German government. 

Although the DSIT asserts that it has no connections to the Goethe-Institut, documents seized during the closure of two of its branches in Tehran reveal that the language school maintained regular communication with the organization and frequently received directives from its officials. The Tehran Times has reviewed multiple of these documents, as well as at least nine financial records indicating payments totaling tens of thousands of Euros to individuals not affiliated with the DSIT. The records were signed by the language school’s CEO and the German ambassador to Tehran.

Furthermore, the DSIT illegally engaged with Iranian citizens by offering students scholarships for study at German universities, a practice unusual for an institute claiming to be merely teaching language. In numerous instances, the DSIT assisted students interested in relocating to Germany by helping them schedule appointments with the German embassy in Tehran. Evidence indicates that these students were often recognized as elites in their professional or academic domains.

Certain individuals with whom the DSIT established close connections became involved in networks aimed at executing illegal activities or schemes that benefit German and Western interests. The Tehran Times may disclose more information on some of these networks in the future.

The Tehran Times has also learned that the DSIT lacked the required operating licenses despite operating in Iran since 1995. This means the school evaded taxes on the income generated from its 10,000 annual students. According to information compiled by the Tehran Times, the DSIT held a financial balance of 400 billion Tomans in 2022.

‘Closure of software center and infiltration hub a bitter pill to swallow for Germany’

Germany, still grappling with its imperialist ambitions, struggles to accept that a dignified nation has shut down its software center and infiltration hub. This is why it views the closure of DSIT as a retaliatory action in response to the shutdown of the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), a source familiar with the situation told the Tehran Times. 

Last month, German police conducted an unannounced and unwarranted raid on 53 properties across the country linked to the Islamic Center Hamburg, Germany’s oldest and leading Shia Muslim center. The move is believed to have been made under pressure from the Israeli lobby in the European country. 

The Tehran Times has learned that German police verbally assaulted numerous employees of the IZH and its affiliated organizations. Reports indicate that officers even confiscated small change from the employees’ pockets, and confronted their family members. German media claims the closure of DSIT was a tit-for-tat move for the ban of the IZH. 

In the wake of the language school's closure, the German embassy in Tehran breached diplomatic protocols by sharing tweets from purported Iranian users on Instagram, who seemed to ridicule the closure of DSIT.

“What the German embassy fails to take into account is that at least in Iran, citizens have the freedom to express dissent when they disagree with government actions. That’s while in Germany, individuals face immediate repercussions for speaking out against the government's backing of the Israeli regime, which is committing genocide in Gaza,” the source said. 

By Soheila Zarfam