“... The people who have been in prison so far cannot therefore be described as prisoners or detainees. "They are hostages of the regime," says Schindler, who now heads the Counter Extremism Project, a think tank that focuses on terrorism. Ultimately, the Iranians are not interested in giving the German detainees a fair trial, but rather in convicting them on flimsy evidence in order to use them as political bargaining chips. This was also the case with Helmut Hofer. "The Iranians' idea was to exchange him for the terrorist Darabi and his accomplices," says Schindler. Kazem Darabi was the mastermind behind the Mykonos attack in Berlin, in which four Kurdish politicians in exile were killed. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. Germany did not allow itself to be blackmailed by Iran.” 

Terrorism and extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project is observing Iran's move with concern: "The suspension of cooperation may strengthen Iran's negotiating position because concessions will now have to be made to Iran," Schindler told ZDF. According to Schindler, the "worst case scenario" would be if Iran also withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. "This could then provide the Israelis with a template for further bombing". Should Iran actually expel all the inspectors, the world would face a major problem, says Hans-Jakob Schindler.

Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses the arrest of a Danish citizen of Afghan origin who was spying on behalf of Iran and scoping out Jewish individuals and institutions in Berlin with the possible aim of an attack.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed war and escalating global tensions between Israel and Iran. As we progress with the hazard topic of global threats in season 3, this week we feature Josh Lipowsky, the senior research analyst at the Counter Extremism Project.

Iran’s supplies of enriched uranium could be converted into enough weapons-grade uranium to make about nine nuclear bombs at a site like Fordow, Castelli says. However, the uranium “is not going to enrich itself, and Natanz and Fordow are really badly damaged,” cautions Hans-Jakob Schindler, a former German diplomat in Tehran who today directs the Counter Extremism Project NGO.