Bundestag reviews proposal to outlaw IRGC in Germany

Germany’s federal parliament has begun considering a proposal to ban activities linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the country.

On February 26, 2026, the Bundestag held its first debate on an initiative submitted by the parliamentary group of Alternative for Germany (AfD) calling for a prohibition on the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Germany.

Following a 20-minute discussion, lawmakers referred the proposal to the relevant parliamentary committees for further examination, with the Committee on Internal Affairs assigned the leading role, according to an official statement published on the Bundestag’s website.

In the proposal, AfD lawmakers describe the IRGC as a central pillar of Iran’s authoritarian theocratic system, accusing it of involvement in suppressing protests, committing systematic human rights violations, and persecuting political opponents.

The initiative calls on the federal government to examine the possibility of banning the organisation under German association and criminal law. It also proposes a comprehensive prohibition on IRGC activities within Germany, including entry restrictions, financial sanctions, and the application of tax and immigration measures.

Additionally, the document urges a reassessment and tightening of sanctions at the European Union and broader international levels, with the aim of designating all IRGC structures as terrorist organisations. Berlin is encouraged to promote corresponding decisions within the EU, NATO, and the United Nations.

According to the authors of the initiative, an official ban by Germany would send a clear political signal rejecting violent, Islamist-motivated, and transnational extremism, as well as the systematic suppression of freedom movements.

By Tamilla Hasanova