Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, January 31, 2021—As the due date approaches for the verdict of a Belgium court on a terrorist case involving an Iranian regime diplomat, there’s growing consensus among politicians that Europe must take a firm and concerted stance toward Tehran’s terrorist threat to global peace and security.
The case involves a foiled bombing plot against the Free Iran the Iranian Resistance in June 2018, held in Villepinte, France. The attack was ordered by the highest authorities in Iran and orchestrated through the facilities of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the center of the case is Assadollah Assadi, the Third Counsel of the regime’s embassy in Vienna. Along with three of his agents, Assadi meticulously planned the attack, transferred a bomb from Tehran to Vienna on a commercial flight, and delivered it to two operatives who were supposed to detonate it at the event. Assadi used his diplomatic cover to facilitate the coordination of the attack, the transfer of the explosive material, as well as paying for the operations. And he currently claims that his diplomatic immunity makes the Belgian court unqualified to try him.
There’s a ton of evidence in the case that shows this was an attack that was carefully planned by the regime against its main opposition. There’s growing concern that the regime is using Europe’s historical penchant to let the regime off the hook with its crimes has allowed Tehran to expand its terrorist activities and threaten the security of European citizens.
Therefore, Assadi’s case should have a much broader impact on Europe’s policy toward the Iranian regime’s belligerent behavior. “Regardless of the court final ruling, the scope of crime requires that the European Union reviews its approach to Iran,” 20 former European ministers wrote in a statement on January 28. “Had the terrorist bombing plot in June 2018 at Villepinte succeeded, hundreds of innocents including European citizens and prominent political figures would have been killed in the event.”
The regime has a long history of using its diplomats and diplomatic facilities to carry out terrorist activities on European soil. But this is the first time that one of its diplomats had the audacity to personally deliver explosives to operatives and get caught red-handed in the act. “[T]he undisputed evidence in the terrorist Villepinte case indicates that the involvement of Iranian authorities at the highest level not only has not come to an end, but has been upgraded into plans for mass murder,” the former ministers wrote in their statement.
Europe’s “business as usual” approach and lack of interest in taking proper measures has emboldened Tehran in its terrorist activities on European soil, the ministers warn.
“Europe’s lack of proper action has emboldened the Iranian authorities in pursuit of their malign activities including terrorism in Europe, convincing them that they have impunity and whatever they do in Europe, even bombing a peaceful rally which could lead to hundreds of deaths, there will be no consequences,” the ministers write. “Europe has its own share of responsibility about the current situation.”
The signatories of the statement, who include Giulio Terzi, Former Foreign Minister of Italy; Alain Vivien, Former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of France; Traian Băsescu, Former President of Romania; Petre Roman, Former Prime Minister of Romania; and Eduard Kukan, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, called on the European Union, the European Parliament, and leaders of European states to take concrete measures against the regime’s terror activities.
These measures including bringing to justice the perpetrators of these terrorist attacks as well as high-ranking Iranian officials who orchestrated them as “a necessary and deterrent action against the godfather of international terrorism in the world.”
The signatories also called for Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian regime’s foreign minister, to be held into account for his prominent role in the Villepinte bombing attempt. “The activities of Iran’s embassies, religious and cultural centers need to be scrutinized and the diplomatic relations with Iran need to be downgraded and return to normal diplomatic relations be subject to Iran packing-up its terrorist apparatus in Europe and giving assurances that it will never engage in terrorism in Europe again,” the ministers write.
Europe must also designate Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as terrorist entities and their agents must be punished and expelled from Europe, the signatories of the statement wrote. “Granting political asylum and citizenship to these mercenaries in European countries should be a red line. As shown by experience, these facilities are a tool in the hands of the regime for espionage and terrorism,” the former politicians write.
The former ministers also called for a general firm policy toward the regime’s other provocative behavior, including its blackmailing through terrorist threats and its breach of its obligations under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
“There are clear reasons for the EU to review our approach,” said Mr. Terzi, one of the statement’s signatories, in an online conference on Thursday. “European-Iranian relations must be made contingent on Iran taking concrete measures to stop its malign activities in Europe. We must also adopt practical measures to give Tehran the message that we are serious.”
