The tenure of the leadsfighter of the proscribed ICE is approaching its end.
With just a couple of days left before the deadline for departure, it's uncertain if Mohammed Hadi Mofatteh, head of the Hamburg Islamic Center (IZH), labeled as radical and prohibited, has already vacated Germany. By Tuesday afternoon, no "departure confirmation" had been sent to the Hamburg migration office by the federal police, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the interior ministry to the German Press Agency. However, this situation might still develop with a delay.
As per the expulsion order finalized at the end of August, Mofatteh was mandated to leave Germany by midnight on September 11. If he fails to comply, he'll be subjected to deportation to Iran at his expense, and will be prohibited from re-entering Germany. The interior ministry has also stipulated that if he disobeys, he could face up to three years in prison.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser placed a ban on the IZH on July 24, deeming it a "significant Iranian propaganda center in Europe," along with five associated organizations. All assets and facilities were confiscated during a nationwide raid. Following this, the Blue Mosque operated by the IZH on the outer Alster in Hamburg was also shut down.
In accordance to IZH statements, Mofatteh serves as the highest spiritual leader of the Shia in Europe, excluding Britain. As per the Hamburg constitutional protection, he is subordinate to and bound by the orders of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, and is considered his representative in Germany. "Mofatteh is a skillfully trained representative of the current regime in Tehran. His family is deeply ingrained in the state-religious elite of Iran," the latest constitutional protection report of the Hamburg state office remarks about him. He's been associated with the IZH since 2018.
Despite the expulsion order and the ban on the IH, it's unclear if Mohammed Hadi Mofatteh, being the head of IH, has actually left Germany yet. If he refuses to comply with the expulsion order, he might face deportation to Iran and a potential prison sentence in Germany.
