Swedish authorities have detained Mohsen Hakimollahi, the Imam of the Imam Ali Islamic Center in Stockholm, the largest Shia mosque in the Nordic region, and are preparing to deport him to Iran, according to reports from Swedish media.
According to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, Hakimollahi, 63, was taken into custody in the middle of the night nearly two weeks ago by plainclothes officers and has been held at an immigration detention center since then. The Swedish Migration Agency officially decided on January 30 to deport him, revoking his permanent residency that was granted in December 2017 after several work permit renewals.
A source close to Hakimollahi told Expressen that he did not resist his arrest and voluntarily followed authorities. However, neither the Swedish Security Service (SAPO) nor the Migration Agency have disclosed the specific reasons for his detention and expulsion. SAPO confirmed that there is no ongoing criminal investigation against him, but emphasized that Swedish law allows the expulsion of non-citizens deemed a security risk, based on intelligence assessments.
Hakimollahi arrived in Sweden in 2011 from Tehran to take over as imam of the Imam Ali Islamic Center in Järfälla, just outside Stockholm. Over the years, he built extensive ties with Swedish politicians, religious groups, and local communities. Sources told Expressen that he regularly traveled to Iran during his stay in Sweden.
NCRI Statement: #Iranian Regime’s Centers for Espionage, Exporting Fundamentalism, and #Terrorism Should Have Been Closed Much Soonerhttps://t.co/KVjkNSwnhN
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 16, 2023
The Imam Ali Islamic Center has not provided any official statements regarding his arrest. Its spokesperson, Akil Zahiri, declined to answer questions from Expressen by phone, instead requesting inquiries be sent via email, stating: “We have no information to confirm the claims you are referring to.”
While some of Hakimollahi’s supporters expressed shock and confusion over his detention, with some insisting that he does not hold extremist views, others believe his political stance may have conflicted with factions inside Iran. Meanwhile, his mobile phone remains turned off, and his family has not responded to media inquiries.
Sweden has been increasing scrutiny of foreign nationals linked to politically sensitive institutions. In 2023, German authorities shut down the Islamic Center of Hamburg, citing connections to the Iranian government. Iranian dissidents and opposition groups have long said that such centers serve as tools for Tehran’s influence operations in Europe, particularly in monitoring and pressuring opposition figures abroad.