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More Than 70 European Lawmakers Demand a Firm Policy Toward Iran Regime’s Terrorism

The European lawmakers demand a firm policy toward Iran regime’s terrorism
The European lawmakers demand a firm policy toward Iran regime’s terrorism

More than 70 European lawmakers from different political tendencies demanded a firm policy vis-à-vis the Iranian regime’s terrorist activities across the globe, and particularly in Europe.

In a joint statement on October 12, the European lawmakers described the regime’s foiled bomb plot in 2018 targeting the Iranian opposition’s annual rally in France as a testament to the fact that the mullahs’ terrorism has no boundaries.

In a press releases regarding the statement by European lawmakers, the British Committee for Iran Freedom on Tuesday wrote: “Today, an Iranian diplomat and three other agents affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Information and Security (MOIS) are currently in prison in Belgium and will be prosecuted in a trial set for 27 November for their role in a bomb plot against the annual gathering of the Iranian opposition, National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in support of a free and democratic Iran in Paris on 30 June 2018.”

“Last week Reuters News Agency revealed that Assadollah Assadi, the Iranian regime’s diplomat “warned authorities of possible retaliation by unidentified groups if he is found guilty, according to a police document.” Accordingly, “Assadi told police that armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, as well as in Iran, were interested in the outcome of his case and would be “watching from the sidelines to see if Belgium would support them or not.” It is outrageous and an act of blackmail by a state for its diplomat to make such direct terrorist threats. European government should not remain silence in the face of the Iranian regime explicit resort to terrorism,” the statement added.

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The following is the full text of the statement by over 70 European lawmakers:

PROTECT EUROPE FROM STATE TERRORISM

We are deeply concerned about the continuing human rights abuses in Iran, including the execution of dissidents on the charge of participating in anti-government demonstrations. This issue requires international attention and Amnesty International have reported on the maltreatment of detainees in antigovernment protests.

We are also alarmed over the Iranian regime’s terrorist acts in Europe. The latest annual report of the German Federal Security Service (dated July 2020) states: “An official diplomat of the Iranian Embassy in Austria (the Third Secretary Assadollah Assadi) was arrested on July 1, 2018 in Germany on a European arrest warrant issued by the authorities of Belgian public prosecutor’s office. He is accused, as a full-time employee of the Ministry of Intelligence, of being the commander of a planned bomb attack against the annual meeting of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) near Paris on June 30, 2018.”

The same agency had specified in previous reports that an important center of the regime’s intelligence activities “focused on the MEK and the NCRI [National Council of Resistance of Iran]” is at the “Iranian Embassy in Berlin.”

The opposition leader Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the primary target of the conspiracy, was present at the rally, along with several hundred political figures from various countries and tens of thousands of Iranians. Had this terrorist operation succeeded, it would have undoubtedly left hundreds killed and many more wounded.

On 2 October 2018, France expelled an Iranian diplomat. Also, three French ministers condemned the preparation of a terrorist act on European soil. Six regime’s diplomats have been expelled from the Netherlands and Albania over the past two years.

Four people, including an Iranian diplomat, are currently in prison in Belgium, and their trial is set for 27 November.

On 19 April 2018, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama unveiled a major terrorist plot by the Iranian regime in Albania against a gathering of the MEK on the occasion of the Iranian New Year, which led to the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador and its intelligence station chief from Albania. Through terrorism, the Iranian regime seeks to eliminate its opponents even on European soil.

The execution of the wrestling champion Navid Afkari in September 2020 shocked the world.

Apart from the judicial process, which is independently underway in Belgium, we believe it is time to reconsider dealing with the Iranian state terrorism. We demand:

  1. The continuation of relations with Iran be made contingent upon the necessary guarantees from the Iranian regime to put an end to its terrorist acts on European soil.
  2. Considering the Iranian regime’s use of diplomatic cover to carry out terrorist acts, the necessary practical warnings should be given to Tehran, such as the closure of its embassies and the expulsion of its ambassadors and diplomats.
  3. In accordance with the Declaration of the European Union of 29 April 1997, Tehran’s intelligence agents, using the cover of diplomats, journalists, businessmen, etc., should be expelled, and the regime’s religious and cultural front institutions in Europe which serve as terrorist and fundamentalist centers should be closed.