- Leader of the Outlawed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiates resistance against deportations
With only a few days left before his expulsion, Mohammed Hadi Mofatteh, head of the Hamburg Islamic Center (IZH), is fighting against his deportation. On Tuesday afternoon, Mofatteh submitted an urgent application at the Hamburg Administrative Court, hoping to delay the deadline. The court spokesperson confirmed this to the German Press Agency. According to the deportation notice issued two weeks prior by the Hamburg Internal Affairs Department, Mofatteh must leave Germany by Wednesday, 24:00.
The immediate application alone does not postpone the deadline, the spokesperson clarified. The court's decision hinges on whether the Hamburg Internal Affairs Department is pushing for Mofatteh's forced removal. The department is scheduled to release a statement later in the day.
Mofatteh's expulsion follows the ban of the IZH on July 24. German Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) described it as a "significant propaganda center of Iran in Europe". Five associated organizations of the IZH were also banned, and all assets and facilities were seized during a countrywide raid. As a result, the Blue Mosque managed by the IZH on the outskirts of Hamburg has been closed.
Mofatteh is regarded as a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader
As per IZH's statements, Mofatteh is considered the highest spiritual authority for Shiites in Europe, excluding the UK. In the view of the Hamburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution, he is bound to follow the orders of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and is considered his representative in Germany. The latest report by the Hamburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution states that "Mofatteh is a well-versed representative of the current regime in Tehran. His family is deeply involved in the state-religious elite of Iran." Since 2018, he has been heading the IZH.
Despite the urgent application, Mohammed Hadi Mofatteh's deportation on Wednesday at 24:00 remains imminent, as stated in the deportation notice. The Hamburg Internal Affairs Department's stance on pushing for Mofatteh's forced removal will significantly influence the court's decision regarding the delay of his deportation.
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