BERLIN (AP) — Two men are accused of planning an attack in Sweden for an Islamic State ally in response to the arson attack on copies of the Quran have been charged in Germany, where they were arrested earlier this year, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The two Afghan citizens, identified only as Ibrahim MG and Ramin N. in accordance with German privacy rules, were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and violating export control laws. Ibrahim MG was charged with membership of a terrorist organization and Ramin N. with supporting a terrorist organization.
The men were arrested on March 19 near Gera in eastern Germany. Federal prosecutors said they filed the charges on August 12 with the state court in Jena, which will decide if and when the case goes to trial.
Ibrahim MG is accused of joining an IS affiliate that attacks carried out in Afghanistan and elsewhere, known as ISIS-K, IS-K or ISPK, in August 2023. Prosecutors said the two suspects had previously raised about 2,000 euros ($2,220) in donations for IS in Germany.
Ibrahim MG was allegedly tasked by the IS branch last summer to carry out an attack in Europe in response to Koran burnings in Sweden and elsewhere. The two suspects planned to kill police officers and other people near the Swedish parliament in Stockholm with firearms and made “concrete preparations” in close consultation with members of the group, prosecutors said in a statement.
Prosecutors said the two men researched the location online and repeatedly tried, but failed, to obtain weapons.
