{"id":334116,"date":"2025-07-12T14:38:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T13:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=334116"},"modified":"2025-07-12T14:38:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T13:38:11","slug":"manhunt-for-tehrans-key-assassin-continues-as-fugitive-hides-in-iran-el-mundo-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/terrorism-a-fundamentalism\/manhunt-for-tehrans-key-assassin-continues-as-fugitive-hides-in-iran-el-mundo-reports\/","title":{"rendered":"Manhunt for Tehran\u2019s Key Assassin Continues as Fugitive Hides in Iran, El Mundo Reports"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_334117\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-334117\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-334117 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/el-mundo-alejo-vidal-quadras-terror-plot-Sami-Bekal.jpg\" alt=\"Spanish police at the crime scene of the attempted assassination of Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras. Inset: Sami Bekal, the suspect linked to the Iran-backed terror plot.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/el-mundo-alejo-vidal-quadras-terror-plot-Sami-Bekal.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/el-mundo-alejo-vidal-quadras-terror-plot-Sami-Bekal-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/el-mundo-alejo-vidal-quadras-terror-plot-Sami-Bekal-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/el-mundo-alejo-vidal-quadras-terror-plot-Sami-Bekal-747x420.jpg 747w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/el-mundo-alejo-vidal-quadras-terror-plot-Sami-Bekal-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/el-mundo-alejo-vidal-quadras-terror-plot-Sami-Bekal-696x391.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-334117\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spanish police at the crime scene of the attempted assassination of Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras. Inset: Sami Bekal, the suspect linked to the Iran-backed terror plot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><em>Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 600 days after the attempted assassination of Spanish politician Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Spanish investigators believe the mastermind behind the plot\u2014Sami Bekal, a Spanish-Moroccan national\u2014is hiding in Iran under the protection of the Iranian regime, according to a detailed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elmundo.es\/cronica\/2025\/07\/10\/6867f00d21efa040068b4599.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">investigation by <em>El Mundo<\/em><\/a> published on July 10, 2025.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Judge Santiago Pedraz, who is overseeing the case in Spain\u2019s Audiencia Nacional, \u201cthere are indications that Bekal traveled to Iran where he is currently in hiding and evading justice.\u201d He is the only suspect in the case who remains at large.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/spain-alejo-vidal-quadras-attempted-murder-terrorist-incident-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The attack<\/a> took place in broad daylight in central Madrid in November 2023. Dr. Vidal-Quadras, founder of the Vox party and a long-time supporter of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) was shot in the face. He survived the assassination attempt but underwent reconstructive jaw surgery and continues to suffer partial hearing loss and facial numbness.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This afternoon, Prof. Alejo Vidal Quadras, President of the International Committee in Search of Justice and Vice President of the European Parliament (1999-2014), was targeted by a terrorist attack in Madrid and was taken to the hospital.<br \/>I strongly condemn this terrorist crime,\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/F3oS2e59Si\">pic.twitter.com\/F3oS2e59Si<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Maryam_Rajavi\/status\/1722666124980965693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 9, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI came back from my morning walk in Retiro Park when a man approached me from behind and said, \u2018Hello, sir.\u2019 When I turned, the bullet hit my jaw instead of my throat. Witnesses say he tried to fire again, but the weapon jammed. I survived by sheer luck,\u201d Vidal-Quadras recounted.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The shooter, Mehrez Ayari, a Tunisian-French hitman affiliated with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com.tr\/en\/europe\/man-suspected-of-shooting-spanish-politician-arrested-in-netherlands-\/3253617\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Mocro Maffia<\/a> criminal network, has since been extradited from the Netherlands to Spain. Ayari is one of eight individuals indicted this week by Judge Pedraz for involvement in the assassination plot. Spanish police, working closely with Dutch and other European intelligence agencies, tied Ayari to the case through a web of surveillance footage, financial transactions, and forensic evidence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yet all leads point to Sami Bekal as the operation&#8217;s mastermind and the direct link to those who commissioned the killing. Judge Pedraz described Bekal as \u201cthe coordinator of the attack and the connection between the sponsors and the operatives.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Spanish newspaper exposes complex network behind Alejo Vidal-Quadras assassination attempt<br \/>Report draws attention to potential links to the Iranian regime and its involvement in similar targeted assassinations.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BlacklistIRGC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#BlacklistIRGC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5mXF5hAlGj\">https:\/\/t.co\/5mXF5hAlGj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Firouz Mahvi (@FirouzMahvi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FirouzMahvi\/status\/1756234320124035461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 10, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bekal, also known by the aliases Pacho, Colomo, Pachito, and Swilleh, was born in 1997 in Palma de Mallorca and moved to the Netherlands at age 13. He is fluent in five languages and deeply embedded in European organized crime circles, particularly the Mocro Maffia.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to psychological profiling cited by police who spoke to <em>El Mundo<\/em>, Bekal is \u201ca camouflaged, high-functioning criminal, capable of manipulation, planning, and operating in hostile environments without emotional restraint.\u201d His involvement in multiple contract killings across Europe and his documented ability to disappear suggest he has state-level protection.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Investigators have tracked Bekal\u2019s movements across Colombia, Brazil, Turkey, Qatar, Morocco, and Spain. Crucially, he fled to Morocco on November 8, 2023\u2014just 24 hours before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/news\/27773716\/alejo-vidal-quadras-iran-assassin-poisonous-regime-attacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the attack in Madrid<\/a>\u2014and subsequently disappeared. After the attempted murder, he received a chilling message: \u201cMission complete.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a> News: Regime Accused of Orchestrating Assassination Attempts in Europe, Including Attack on Dr. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VidalQuadras?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@VidalQuadras<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/16cCOmLOHt\">https:\/\/t.co\/16cCOmLOHt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy\/status\/1915655238557532534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 25, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spanish and Dutch intelligence services suspect the Iranian regime\u2019s involvement but lack conclusive proof. However, according to <em>El Mundo,<\/em> Vidal-Quadras said, \u201cThere is no doubt the Iranian regime is behind the attempt on my life. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/returning-to-ncri-event-dr-alejo-vidal-quadras-challenges-regime-and-pledges-support-of-irans-resistance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">I have supported the NCRI<\/a> for over two decades, and in 2022, I was placed at the top of an Iranian blacklist. I warned the Spanish government, but my alerts were not taken seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a symbolic moment foreshadowing the attack, Iran\u2019s state-affiliated Fars News Agency issued a warning to Spain just days before the incident, stating that \u201chosting the MEK would have consequences,\u201d an implicit threat against Vidal-Quadras.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bekal\u2019s network used Spain as the staging ground. He brought Ayari from the Netherlands, arranged weapons and transport, and coordinated surveillance efforts from various locations in Andaluc\u00eda. A motorcycle purchased in M\u00e1laga was later found burned in Fuenlabrada after the attack, another detail pointing to careful planning.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How Prof <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VidalQuadras?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#VidalQuadras<\/a> Landed on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Tehran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Tehran<\/a>\u2019s Hit List<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wFUg91YS2P\">https:\/\/t.co\/wFUg91YS2P<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy\/status\/1723751257599562229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 12, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities believe Bekal may also have played a role in other political assassinations linked to the Iranian regime, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politie.nl\/en\/wanted\/fugitives\/2024\/november\/sami-bekal-bounouare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021 killing of Wisam Al-Albassi<\/a>, an Iraqi DJ and dissident, in the Netherlands. Ayari was the shooter in that case as well.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite repeated warnings and a known pattern of Iranian assassination plots in Europe, Vidal-Quadras notes that \u201cSpain did nothing until it was too late. Only now do I have proper protection.\u201d He remains convinced that \u201cthe threat to my life will not end until the clerical regime in Iran falls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">While seven individuals have now been charged in the operation, the man considered the key link between the killers and the ayatollahs remains beyond the reach of justice\u2014hidden, it appears, by the very regime he serves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three-minute read More than 600 days after the attempted assassination of Spanish politician Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Spanish investigators believe the mastermind behind the plot&mdash;Sami Bekal, a Spanish-Moroccan national&mdash;is hiding in [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":334117,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[287],"class_list":{"0":"post-334116","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-terrorism-a-fundamentalism","8":"tag-iran-terrorism"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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