A bill proposed by the Belgian government for a prisoner exchange deal with Iran’s regime and four other countries will be put up to vote on Wednesday, July 20, being the last day prior to the MPs’ summer vacation. If a vote does not take place the entire motion will be postponed to September and placed under further review.
During the past few weeks pro-appeasement circles in the West have sought to push through a secret deal between Belgium and the Iranian regime, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, to see the release of Tehran’s convicted diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi and his three accomplices and have them sent back to Iran. For this shameful agreement Belgian judiciary authorities met with Gholam-Hossein Dehghani, the Iranian regime’s ambassador to Belgium, on March 11 and signed this then secret deal. However, the public revelation of this arrangement on June 30 launched a what Belgian MPs have been describing as a “tsunami.”
Those seeking to finalize this deal between Brussels and Tehran were counting on the period between June 30 and July 6, consisting of two non-working days, to prevent any action against the Belgian government’s proposed prisoner exchange bill with Iran’s mullahs. They believed the Belgian Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission would approve the bill the in less than 30 minutes and two days later, on July 2, it would pass through the Parliament through a floor vote and Assadi would be on his way to Tehran.
On Tuesday, July 19, following a second postponement from the prior week, the scheduled Parliamentary session to debate the government’s bill never convened as Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, known as the main official behind the Brussels-Tehran prisoner swap deal, refused to attend, prompting protests from opposition party members who had questions.
The opposition MPs responded by introducing a letter of impeachment, calling for a vote to determine if the Belgian premier is obligated to attend the session. However, the majority of the ruling coalition MPs were not present, postponing the session to 2 pm and vote on the impeachment letter.
“This impeachment letter vote will likely not receive a vote in favor. However, the very fact that we were able to place such pressure on the ruling coalition is a victory for us,” said Belgian MP Darya Safai in an interview with Iran International – Persian. This issue is very important for the credibility of Belgium in the international community, and the security of Iranians living in Europe and Europeans held hostage in Iran, she added.
They updated the @EUCouncil’s terrorist list, which “shall be binding in its entirety & directly applicable in all Member States”
Nr 5:the convicted Iranian terrorist Assadi,whom the Belgian government wants to release at the request of the bloodthirsty regime of Iran
Shameful! pic.twitter.com/2O9YPrq5kE
— Darya Safai MP (@SafaiDarya) July 19, 2022
During the afternoon session the ruling coalition of the Belgian Parliament rejected the opposition’s motion to have the Prime Minister be present and respond to their questions. The government was represented in this session by the new Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib with the Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne by her side. The opposition MPs voiced criticism over the fact that the new Foreign Minister is not informed about the case.
“Agreement with the devil.”
Opposition MPs demanded answers from De Croo as the official who finally places his signature on this bill. Those opposing the bill argue that such a move will green light more terrorism and hostage-taking by the Iranian regime, describing it as an “agreement with the devil.” The Belgian Prime Minister and his Justice Minister have gone as far as arguing such a bill will provide more security for Belgian citizens, they added.
One question raised by the opposition MPs in Tuesday’s afternoon session sought any precedent of such an agreement by any other European government with the Iranian regime. The Belgian government’s agreement with the Iranian regime allows Tehran to provide parole or decrease the prison term of any detainees being returned to Iran by Belgium. This will most certainly see the release of Assadi upon being returned to Tehran’s custody.
It is unprecedented for the Belgian government to propose a bill and face such stiff opposition in the Parliament. In response to questions from MPs about how other countries view such an agreement with Tehran, De Croo said European governments, such as France, have not opposed this bill and not requested any explanation from Brussels. This can strengthen previously mentioned hypotheses that European governments are actually behind Belgium in this deal with the Iranian regime. Furthermore, Wednesday, July 20, is the final day that the Belgian Parliament convenes before leaving for the summer vacation.
Belgian MP Denis Ducarme, an influential Liberal Party figure, a former minister and a candidate to lead his party, indicate he would not be voting for this bill despite the fact that he is among the ruling coalition.
July 19 – Brussels
Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of #Iran opposition PMOI/MEK rallying against Belgium's deal with the mullahs' regime for the release of Tehran's convicted diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi.#DontFreeTerrorists#No2Appeasementpic.twitter.com/77YWRDbzmr— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 19, 2022
The developments up to now has been described as a major victory by analysts, especially considering the fact that French President Emmanuel Macron has provided significant support for this bill from the Belgian government. This move also enjoys support from Germany and Austria, according to reports. Despite support from European governments for this agreement with Tehran, and the fact that the Belgian government enjoys a majority in the Parliament, they have been facing unprecedented opposition and difficulties.
The deal is so disgraceful that the Belgian premier is not willing to attend a parliamentary session to answer questions and members of the ruling coalition avoid their media to not face questions in this regard. A bill that was initially planned to be wrapped up in a few days has been continuing in grueling fashion for three weeks. If this bill is not adopted, it will go down in history as an unprecedented event in Belgium as the government failing to pass its own bill in a parliament where it enjoys a majority.
If the bill is eventually approved, the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and other parties could seek to further pursue this case in the Constitutional Court of Belgium and the European Court of Human Rights and prevent the execution of this agreement.
De Iraanse diaspora is razend om de schandelijke Irandeal en komt nu al weken elke dag op straat.
Ik steun hun strijd voor rechtvaardigheid. Zij w id steek gelaten. De ayatollahs zullen feest vieren, Asadi zal als held onthaald w, de diaspora blijft angstig en verweesd achter. pic.twitter.com/GAYiijP5xd
— Theo Francken MP (@FranckenTheo) July 19, 2022
Background
The process in reality was anything but simple. From the very first hours, the vast network of PMOI/MEK supporters across Europe and the U.S. launched rallies outside Belgian embassies and consulates to protest the deal. The Iranian Resistance, led by the PMOI/MEK, launched a campaign to inform political, legal, and scientific dignitaries across the globe about the Brussels-Tehran plot. Protest letters have poured into Brussels from 24 countries, including messages from Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to dozens of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, European dignitaries and Members of the European Parliament, MPs, Nobel Laureates, and religious and legal figures.
These widespread protests resulted in a major wave of opposition from the Belgian political apparatus. Belgian political figures took part in demonstrations and rallies held by freedom-loving Iranians and PMOI/MEK supporters outside the Belgian Parliament. Belgian MP Michael Freilich specifically said “We cannot do this alone” and prevent the adoption of this bill, and this is exactly why we need your support and campaign.
This immense political pressure resulted in the July 5 session of the Belgian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, which the government sought to wrap in less than 30 minutes, continue for over four hours and be postponed to the next day, being Wednesday, July 6. Members of the Belgian opposition, joined by a significant number of members of MPs from the ruling coalition parties, described the government’s bill as incomprehensible, illogical, and even dangerous.
July 19 – Brussels
Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of #Iran opposition PMOI/MEK rallying against Belgium's deal with the mullahs' regime for the release of Tehran's convicted diplomat-terrorist.#DontFreeTerrorists#No2AppeasementPart 3pic.twitter.com/2gP4lBUwht
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 19, 2022
Thanks to the intense initial campaign and the numerous measures that went into the initiative, a long slate of evidence and documents have been placed forward, coupled with the many protests, about the catastrophic results of returning Assadi, the Iranian regime’s convicted diplomat-terrorist, to Iran, both for the Iranian people and Belgium.
Accordingly, the Foreign Relations Committee declared they would need more than 24 hours to evaluate all the texts and discussions brought forward, and to deliver a final document to the Belgian Parliament. Thus, the parliamentary session was postponed to Thursday, July 14.
Assadi was convicted for masterminding a bomb-plot targeting a 2018 rally in support of Iranian opposition coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), near Paris, attended by thousands of people and hundreds of political dignitaries from across the globe. Fortunately, the attack was foiled by European law enforcement authorities, leading to the arrest and conviction of Assad and his three accomplices. Assadi’s release would be a new low in the history of appeasement vis-à-vis dictatorships by western governments.
