On Thursday, the 4th of February 2021, the Belgian court where Assadollah Assadi was tried announced that the defendant would be given the maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment as demanded by the prosecutors.
Iran diplomat-terrorist was arrested and tried
Assadollah Assadi was the mastermind of the plot to bomb the Iranian Resistance, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran)’s Free Iran gathering in June 2018 just outside Paris.
The target of this plot was the leader of the Resistance, Mrs Maryam Rajavi, with Assadi’s accomplices instructed to detonate the bomb as close as possible to her.
The explosives to be used in the attack were made and tested in Iran. Assadi personally transported them from Iran and he met with two accomplices at a restaurant in Luxembourg where he handed them over with instructions.
European authorities caught the couple in France and Assadi was arrested in Germany.
Mullahs regime complained that their diplomat has immunity
The Iranian regime was extremely concerned about the trial and what would be revealed. Its implication in the plot became even more evident when they went to great efforts to get the case against Assadi dropped.
Officials complained that the trial is unlawful because Assadi, as a diplomat, has immunity from prosecution. Immunity, however, does not extend across the European Union, and in any case, the gravity of the charges warranted a trial.
The regime then ordered Assadi not to attend the trial in person, so he was absent from court proceedings.
Mullahs regime did not accept the decision
Commenting on the verdict announced by the Belgian court, a spokesperson for the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Iran does not accept the decision. Saeed Khatibzadeh said that the legal process used by Belgium was illegal because of Assadi’s diplomatic immunity.
Defence lawyer Dimitri De Beco said that it is likely Assadi will appeal the decision.
There are calls for leaders and policymakers in the European Union to take action in the wake of the verdict. It has been clearly established that the Iranian regime’s Foreign Ministry, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani were aware of the plot.
The regime’s brazen terrorist activity should not be ignored
Thankfully, European authorities were able to foil the plot before any damage was done, however, it should serve as a warning to Europe, and the wider international community, that the Iranian regime will go to great lengths to target its opposition and to further its own interests.
Had the attack not been foiled, there would have been hundreds or even thousands of fatalities and casualties. A bomb attack would have also spread panic across the local and national community. The regime’s brazen terrorist activity should not be ignored and European leaders that fail to take action are giving the regime the green light to continue plotting.
An obvious first step would be to close all of the regime’s embassies across Europe – its centres of terrorism and espionage. Next must come to some steps to show the regime that its behaviour will not be accepted. And clearly, appeasement policies do not work. The past few years show us that they embolden the regime.
MEK Iran (follow them on Twitter and Facebook)
and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTube
