Assadolah Assadi was found guilty of “attempted terrorism” for “a foiled plot to bomb a 2018 rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a French-based dissident group.”
The NCRI coalition is made up of Iranian dissident groups; the main member is the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), a controversial group that is committed to the overthrow of the regime.
This case further highlights Iran’s readiness and ability to run jihad terror operations inside Western countries. Of course Iran denied involvement, but the Belgian court originally determined that “Assadi ran a state intelligence network and had brought explosives for the Paris plot with him on a commercial flight to Austria from Iran.”
Although Iran’s ambitions and modus operandi are no secret, Western leaders are busy negotiating a new nuclear deal that will only serve to enable the expansion Iran’s actions against Western interests.
“Iran envoy found guilty of France bomb plot drops appeal,” Al Jazeera, May 5, 2020:
An Iranian diplomat sentenced to 20 years in prison for planning a bomb attack in France has dropped an appeal in Belgium and will serve his sentence, his representative said on Wednesday.
Belgian authorities have said they will oppose any potential swap deal with Western prisoners in Iran, lawyers said.
Assadolah Assadi was found guilty of “attempted terrorism” in February after a foiled plot to bomb a 2018 rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a French-based dissident group.
It was the first time an Iranian official had been tried for “suspected terrorism” in Europe since Iran’s 1979 revolution.
“This has been a political trial since the beginning and he does not want to participate any longer,” Assadi’s lawyer Dimitri de Beco told reporters in Antwerp, where he was sentenced on February 4.
Judges had ruled that diplomatic immunity as third counsellor at Iran’s embassy in Vienna did not protect Assadi from charges of using the post for “state-sponsored terrorism”.
In its ruling, the Belgian court said Assadi ran a state intelligence network and had brought explosives for the Paris plot with him on a commercial flight to Austria from Iran.
Iran’s mission to the EU said in a statement that Belgium had violated international law and that Tehran reserved the right to resort to all legal mechanisms.
Delicate EU-Iran relations
Assadi did not attend his court hearings or sentencing, which was held behind closed doors in high security.He was arrested in Germany but Belgium agreed to hold the sensitive trial because two of the other suspects were Belgian-Iranian nationals and were arrested in Belgium.
A third was arrested in France. All three were given long sentences.
Lawyers for the NCRI said there were guarantees from the Belgian state that there would be no swap of Assadi for Western prisoners, citing separation of powers between judicial and political decisions and a written guarantee from the Belgian government.
“We believe that he (Assadi) saw no legal or factual argumentation to improve his position,” lawyer Rik Vanreusel told reporters in Antwerp.
Belgium’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment.
European governments have said they cannot ignore violent attacks, including two killings in the Netherlands and a failed assassination attempt in Denmark, which they blamed on Iran.
Iran has dismissed all terrorism charges, calling the Paris attack allegations a “false flag” stunt by the NCRI, which it considers a terrorist group.
NCRI head Maryam Rajavi called on the EU to sanction Iranian intelligence officials and elite commanders….
ElderlyZionist says
Did I just read that the Iranians are angry because Belgium violated their diplomat’s immunity? That’s pure comedy gold.
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Will they be expelled from the West after their sentences are completed?
mortimer says
Spies are often exchanged for other spies.
mortimer says
No surprise here. Does the country that chants ‘Death to America’ in its legislature plan terrorist attacks in Western countries? Three points if you said ‘Yes’.
Shi’ites are living in their own PSYCHODRAMA and they are selecting the drapes and furniture. A psychiatrist would call that ‘psychotic’.
The Iranian mullahs are not much thinking about the possible push-back.
More sanctions against Iran are called for.
mortimer says
Iran won’t stop this nefarious activity until the mullahs have been overthrown. When that happens the mullahs will be hanged from the lamp posts.
DavidR says
This demonstrates another down stream effect of terrorism, lengthy and costly investigations and trials that drain bank accounts and mental health and are often hampered by the fear of being seen as a racist.
Radical Islam needs no propaganda machine since they can count on their enemies having one hand tied behind their backs and the other preoccupied with posting tweets that further the cause.
Kepha says
Good for France.
But, as for the Mojaheddin-e-Khalq, those 烏龜蛋 boast among themselves that they were the first “revolutionary fighters” into the “nest of spies” back in 1979. A long time ago I confronted one of them soliciting support on the National Mall, and told him he had his f-g nerve to be doing that; and were I president, every one of his group’s members would be rounded up, stripped of status, and deported. He retreated ith a growing dark spot in the front of his pants. I’m as moved by their “resistance” to the Mad Mullahs as I am about one cannibal being eaten by another.
Kepha says
Good for France.
I’m not for any war or intervention in Iran, but think it needs to be left to stew in its own juices for another couple of generations or so.
As for the Mojaheddin-e-Khalq, those 烏龜蛋 boast among themselves that they were the first “revolutionary fighters” into the “nest of spies” back in 1979. We have too much of both Marxism and Islamic fanaticism to have anyuse for their bastard offspring. A long time ago I confronted one of them soliciting support on the National Mall, and told him he had his f-g nerve to be doing that; and were I president, every one of his group’s members would be rounded up, stripped of status, and deported. He retreated with a growing dark spot in the front of his pants. I’m as moved by their “resistance” to the Mad Mullahs as I am about one cannibal being eaten by another.
Walter Sieruk says
One of the definitions of Terrorism is that terrorism is “The use of violence for the achievement of political ends which is common to state and non- state groups.”
Therefore, Islam with its Islamic terrorism actually fits within this definition. As difficult and hard as this might be for some Westerners, especially Americans, to comprehend and understand. For example, many Americans do strongly understand the concept of the “separation of religion and state.”
For Islam is a religious/ political /Sharia law based system that had total and complete control over the thoughts values , lives , behavior of millions of people around the world. This also included the use of violence to achieve the advancement of the power of Islam. As Islam’s “holy book” the Qu ‘ran does strangely instructs, as in Surah 2:191, 5:33. 9:5, 111, 47:4.
So the above definition of “non- state group” describes ISIS al Qaeda, Hamas ,Hezbollah Boko Haram , Al Shabaab, etc.
For the definition of “state” terrorism the rough state of Iran serve as good example, is Islamic terror state it inflected s on the Iranian people though is violent ruffians gangs of Islamic state “police” who are called the “Revolutionary Guards.” Furthermore , the state “mullah regime “ of Iran also funds ,supports and uses in violent and murderous Muslim stooge jihad groups and Hezbollah and Hamas to achieve its religious /political agenda . So indeed Islam is political and with its violence fits the above definition.
Islam is in essence, a religious /political Sharia law based system.
As so well explained in brief way, by the Muslim tyrant who and ruled Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini when he stated that “All Islam is politics.” [1]
[1] THE ISLAM IN ISLAMIC TERRORISM by Ibn Warraq , page 332.
gravenimage says
Islamic Republic of Iran envoy found guilty of bomb plot at dissident rally in France drops appeal
………………..
Don’t imagine this will lead Biden to think twice about sending Iran boatloads of money…
“Biden’s handlers considering giving Iran $1,000,000,000 as show of goodwill”
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2021/05/bidens-handlers-considering-giving-iran-1000000000