German-Iranian trade is flourishing. The value of German exports to Iran increased by 19 percent to 344 million euros in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, according to the newsletter of the “German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Industry” in Tehran. It is one of many positive reports about the German-Iranian economic relationship that is being spread. Critical words about the Iranian missile attacks on Israel or human rights violations in Iran? None.The Chamber of Commerce’s uncritical approach to the mullahs’ regime makes people skeptical. Who is behind the organization that presents itself on the Internet and in newsletters like an official foreign chamber of commerce (AHK) and also uses its logo? Research by the F.A.Z. show: In fact, the organization is no longer part of the AHK group of 150 locations in 93 countries, as the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) makes clear. Even more absurd: the institution invites business people on “delegation trips” to Germany under a false flag , including to trade fairs and to the automobile manufacturers Mercedes, Audi and Porsche. But they don’t know anything about the visits. When asked, the alleged “premium partner” Lufthansa now wants to have all of its entries in the wrong chamber deleted. “Very difficult to enforce trademark rights in Iran.” The Islamic Republic of Iran is not only because of its authoritarian Muslim regime, because of its nuclear program Human rights violations and the violent suppression of nationwide protests since 2022, but also because of their drone deliveries to Russia in the war against Ukraine and because of a rocket attack on Israel in April. The European Union and Germany have therefore already tightened their sanctions several times. In this tense situation, the alleged chamber not only uses the AHK symbols, its web addresses on the network of networks are also reminiscent of the German models, such as diihk.com/de and ahkiran. ir. The umbrella organization in Berlin is annoyed by these appearances because in October 2023 it revoked the AHK status of the facility. A DIHK spokesman says the Iranians have been banned from using the logo without permission by a lawyer. This ban is legally binding in Germany. However, it is “very difficult to enforce the relevant trademark rights in Iran, a frustrating issue”. The office there “acts independently of the DIHK” and is “a membership organization registered in Iran with its own legal personality”. That was not always the case. In 1975, during the time of the Shah, the AHK Iran was founded by the DIHK and a founding board of six German and six Iranian merchants. This parity still applies today. After the revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, bilateral relations went up and down. Things reached a high in 2015 after the Vienna nuclear agreement to control the Iranian nuclear program and the easing of sanctions. With the trip of Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) to Tehran in autumn 2016, relations seemed to normalize: the DIHK worked with the DIHK again AHK together, there was a separate Iran delegate from German business. In the meantime, state money also flowed into other parts of the AHK network, including direct grants from the Ministry for Foreign Trade Promotion. Have all connections actually been cut off? All of that is over since the sanctions took effect again and the human rights situation has deteriorated so much, according to the DIHK spokesman says: “Due to the ongoing very difficult situation, we terminated the corresponding trademark license agreement in October 2023 with immediate effect and cut all ties with the chamber.” But that’s not entirely true. The Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce maintains a country page on the Internet including an expert on Iran – and it refers to the ostracized AHK as a “local contact for all questions relating to market development and market cultivation.” If the chamber association says that it cannot intervene against the trademark infringement in Tehran, Then this possibility may arise when the Iranians come to Germany soon: In a newsletter from May 21st, the organization announced “exclusive delegation trips to important events in Germany”. In September they want to visit “renowned automobile centers in Germany”. The world’s leading trade fair Automechanisa in Frankfurt, the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and “Mercedes-Benz and Audi production facilities” are mentioned. Another group travels to the AMB metalworking trade fair in Stuttgart. In October there will be a visit to Inno Trans, the trade fair for railway and transport technology in Berlin. The organizers know nothing about travel. However, the organizers know nothing about it. “We don’t know anything about the said delegation trip,” said Messe Frankfurt, adding as a precautionary measure that it was adhering to all “sanctions issued or supported by the federal government.” Messe Stuttgart also has no registration: “We are not informed about a delegation trip by Iranian business people.” Messe Berlin also has “no information about a delegation trip by Iranian business people to this year’s InnoTrans”. Requests from such a delegation have also not been received from Mercedes, Porsche and Audi. At best, groups from Iran could have registered privately. Not only the German economy is disturbed, but also Amnesty International. “Contrary to what the chamber suggests, you cannot treat Iran as a partner country like any other country, because incredible human rights violations are committed there,” says Lena Rohrbach, the organization’s Iran expert in Germany. The regime is responsible for torture, mistreatment, the suppression of dissidents, women and minorities as well as a high number of unjustified executions. “The dire situation in Iran is linked to the AHK’s jubilant reports about increasing foreign trade,” she says.More on the topicRohrbach is also strange that the AHK expresses “deep sadness” over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in the circular. Raisi was “directly involved in or supervised the disappearances and extrajudicial executions of thousands of political dissidents in the 1980s” as well as many other atrocities. “It was damned difficult to get a visa” from the self-proclaimed AHK despite this repeated attempts since Monday to obtain no comment on the inconsistencies. A press spokesman said in an email on Thursday afternoon that more time was needed to answer the questions. According to the website, the chamber has 1,800 members, 1,000 customers and 30 employees. Six of the twelve board members have German names. E-mails to the addresses mentioned were undeliverable. It is unclear whether the delegation trips will even take place, says Michael Tockuss, former managing director of the AHK in Tehran. “It is extremely difficult for Iranians to get a visa if there is no welcoming institution in Germany that can vouch for them, this is especially true for trade fair trips,” he says. Tockuss is now a managing board member of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce in Hamburg. Despite the abbreviation DIHKeV, it has nothing to do with the umbrella organization DIHK and does not use its insignia. The term “chamber” is not protected in Germany.
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