European Parliament: EU suspects Iranian espionage attack on Green Party MP Neumann

The European Parliament has confirmed evidence of an Iranian espionage attack against German MEP Hannah Neumann. The investigation into a cyberattack on the Green Party politician's office revealed that the method of execution bore strong similarities to the methods used by Iranian state-backed cyber espionage groups, the office of Parliament President Roberta Metsola told the German Press Agency. The aim of the attack was likely to gather intelligence.

Neumann told the German Press Agency that the attack was likely motivated by her commitment to human rights and democracy in Iran . According to her, it was likely carried out by a hacker group called "Charming Kitten," which is believed to be working for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Neumann is head of the parliamentary delegation for relations with the people of Iran and has been calling for the Revolutionary Guard to be listed as a terrorist organization for years.

According to the German politician, the attackers contacted her office under a false identity over several weeks and attempted to install spyware via a link. Fortunately, the parliamentary IT defense system worked and prevented the attackers from spying on information. According to Neumann, the incident was investigated after she was informed of a possible attack by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The 41-year-old then alerted parliament, which then began its own investigation.

Metsola's office stated that, as a result of the incident, Parliament's security services were asked to exercise particular vigilance. The President strongly condemned such an attack on an elected Member of the European Parliament. Die Zeit newspaper reported on the spying attack on Neumann last month. At the time, however, the European Parliament did not comment on the case because the analysis had not yet been completed.