![\"Ingrid-Betancourt\u2014Iranian-youths-join-MEK-for-regime-change\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Ingrid-Betancourt\u2014Iranian-youths-join-MEK-for-regime-change.jpg\" "\\"Ingrid-Betancourt\u2014Iranian-youths-join-MEK-for-regime-change\\"")
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A court in Belgium would hear the appeal cases of three Iranian<\/a> operatives who attempted to bomb the opposition rally in 2018 in France. These three individuals were part of a terrorist cell under Assadollah Assadi\u2019s command. Assadi served as the Iranian regime\u2019s diplomat in Austria.<\/p>\n We have conducted interviews with several renowned politicians who attended the \u201cFree Iran\u201d gathering in 2018. Ms. Ingrid Betancourt<\/a>, a former Colombian Senator, is one of these plaintiffs. Below is the full text of our interview with Ms. Betancourt.<\/p>\n Q: Almost 40 months after the thwarted terror plot against the \u201cFree Iran\u201d gathering in 2018 and 9 months after Asadollah Assadi was convicted by the Belgian Judiciary, there has been no serious effort by the European leaders to dismantle the Iranian regime\u2019s network of espionage and terrorism made public. What message does that convey to Tehran?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ms. Betancourt: Security services in Germany, France, Belgium, and perhaps some other European countries carried out a successful joint operation in aborting one of the most horrifying crimes of the century. However, the political reaction and punitive measures did not match such a plot in any way. Worse still, there was hardly any meaningful move by the Europeans when the Iranian regime\u2019s senior diplomat was caught red-handed and convicted by a Belgian court.<\/p>\n The decision to carry out a terrorist plot\u00a0against\u00a0Mrs. Maryam\u00a0Rajavi<\/a>, the President-elect of the NCRI\u00a0and the Free Iran gathering,\u00a0was taken by\u00a0the\u00a0Iranian regime\u2019s\u00a0Supreme National Security Council (SNSC),\u00a0and the most senior officials of the regime were involved in this act,\u00a0and yet no appropriate political measures\u00a0were\u00a0taken by the EU.<\/p>\n There is a massive contrast\u00a0between what happened and\u00a0the role of the security services in Europe on\u00a0the\u00a0one hand and\u00a0what the political establishment\u00a0did in response on the other. One can\u00a0imagine the extent of concessions\u00a0given by the West\u00a0to\u00a0the regime over the years,\u00a0which has emboldened the mullahs\u00a0to\u00a0such an\u00a0extent\u00a0where its diplomat brazenly\u00a0misused\u00a0the diplomatic privileges\u00a0to bring explosives from Iran and hand\u00a0them\u00a0over\u00a0to terrorists in central Europe.\u00a0This\u00a0seriously undermines our security in Europe.<\/p>\n Q: During the investigations in Assadi\u2019s case, a green notebook was found with the names of the Iranian agents who were on Assadi\u2019s payroll. What would you expect Western intelligence agencies to be doing with that sensitive information?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ms. Betancourt: Assadollah\u00a0Assadi<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0case was not the first terrorist plot on European soil,\u00a0and if European governments don\u2019t take appropriate actions, it will not be the last one.<\/p>\n The\u00a0main target of the Iranian regime terrorist plots has been\u00a0the\u00a0Iranian Resistance<\/a>\u00a0and the MEK, and\u00a0the Iranian regime\u2019s\u00a0Ministry of Intelligence\u00a0has a network of agents in Europe supported by the regime\u2019s embassies that misuse their diplomatic facilities.\u00a0Assadi<\/a>\u00a0was\u00a0a so-called diplomat\u00a0at the head of the Iranian regime\u2019s intelligence network in Europe.<\/p>\n This\u00a0espionage network in Europe, which is used for terror plots,\u00a0should\u00a0have been\u00a0exposed and destroyed,\u00a0and the EU should\u00a0have\u00a0demanded\u00a0from Tehran to dismantle its\u00a0terror apparatus. But unfortunately, due to appeasement policy, this has not happened, and the regime\u2019s terror cells are active in Europe, and the EU is only focused on reviving the JCPOA.<\/p>\n #Iran<\/a>: Fearing A More Significant Defeat The Clerical Regime Withdrew Its Appeal Against Assadi\u2019s Conviction, His 20-year Imprisonment Is Now Final #NoImpunity4Mullahs<\/a> #EUTime4FirmIranPolicy<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/i0pcj9AFl5<\/a><\/p>\n — NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 5, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n