German prosecutors said on Thursday they had charged German-Iranian a man with breaching an arms embargo against Iran by trying to export high-tech equipment which could be used in Tehran's nuclear programme.
The 48-year-old, who can only be identified as Mohsen V. under German law, is accused of brokering the trade between May and November last year, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said.
He was arrested in November. The charges were brought last month, but only announced on Thursday. "Among other things, the charges focus on brokering the delivery to Iran of two high-speed cameras suitable for Iran's nuclear programme," the office said in a statement.
Mohsen V. was also accused of trying to sell Iran technical equipment from the United States with the help of a company in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. On Monday, German authorities had announced the arrest of a German businessman from Rhineland-Palatinate for brokering the sale of goods to Iran which could be used to build rockets.
No one from the Federal Prosecutor's Office was immediately available for comment on whether there was any link between the two cases. In its statement on Thursday, the office said the German firm dealing with Mohsen V. had received a payment of some 87,000 euros from Iran, but never delivered the goods.
Mohsen V. is also accused of trying to broker the export to Iran of Swiss-made night-vision binoculars, which also fall under the embargo, the statement said. German law and United Nations sanctions prevent individuals or companies from supplying Iran with goods which could have nuclear or military applications.