Former model tells Hamburg court he was paid €10,000 to abduct Block children, inspired by James Bond
Jonathan C., a former model and fitness trainer, told a Hamburg court on Wednesday that he was recruited to help snatch two children from their father in Denmark, believing the operation was legal and driven by a desire to do good.
The testimony
Jonathan C., now going by Jonathan G., appeared as a witness on the 62nd day of the Block trial in Hamburg. The 35-year-old, who previously worked as a model and fitness trainer and lived in Hamburg for eleven years, described how he was brought into a team assembled by an Israeli security firm in December 2023. He was told the mission was lawful and aimed at rescuing two children of the Block family from a terrible father.
We were excited and a bit anxious.
He said he was paid €10,000 for his role, which was to communicate with the children because he spoke German. The group used code names: he was "Nils Holgersson," while members with martial arts experience were called "Ninjas." He admitted he did not get all his questions answered but felt honoured to be approached by someone he believed was a Mossad agent.
You watch James Bond films and then you want to be part of something like that.
The abduction
On New Year's Eve 2023, the two children were watching fireworks in Gråsten, Denmark, when they were pulled into a car and taken to Germany. The operation was allegedly commissioned by their mother, Christina Block, amid a protracted custody dispute with her ex-husband Stephan Hensel. The children had been living with their father in Denmark.
- Jonathan C. recruited by Israeli security firm head David B.
- Children abducted from Gråsten, Denmark, and taken to Germany
- Jonathan C. gives media interviews from Israel
- Jonathan G. testifies under safe conduct at Hamburg court
The accused
Christina Block, daughter of Block House steakhouse chain founder Eugen Block, is charged with ordering the abduction. She denies the allegations, claiming the Israeli security firm acted on its own. Six other defendants also face charges. All are presumed innocent. A defence lawyer earlier described the team as a "motley crew."
Safe conduct and legal wrangling
Jonathan G. was granted safe conduct to testify, as were three other men and one woman from Israel. The prosecution had argued his role was not significant enough to warrant the protection, but the investigating court disagreed. Safe conduct exempts him from pre-trial detention, though he and the others may still face charges later.
