Senior European politicians and Iran experts from a non-governmental organization(ISJ) have written to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to express their disappointment that the European External Action Service (EEAS) has remained silent over the recent terrorism conviction of Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi in Belgium.
Assadi smuggled the explosives into Europe in diplomatic luggage, before driving them to Luxembourg to be handed off to two Belgian-Iranian accomplices, who were also convicted in this trial and given heavy sentences. Luckily, the plan was thwarted. Assadi falsely claimed diplomatic immunity even though he was arrested outside his host state of Austria.
The International Committee of ‘In Search of Justice’ (ISJ), which wants to promote freedom, democracy, stability, human rights, and peace in Iran, said that Assadi was running a terrorist network across Europe and that, if the EU fails to take strong and immediate action, then the regime may feel embolden to commit more terrorist actions across the continent.
The letter read: “There can be no doubt Assadi’s terrorist outrage was planned and ordered from the highest echelons of the regime, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the president Hassan Rouhani, the foreign Minister Javad Zarif and the Minister of Intelligence Mahmoud Alavi.”
They said that there should not be “business-as-usual” with Iran, seeing as it “terrorism as statecraft” and advised that the EU:
- close Iran’s embassies
- make diplomatic relations contingent on Iran halting its terrorism in Europe
- take action against Zarif
The letter also condemned EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security, Josep Borrell, for not only failing to condemn Zarif, but actually being a joint keynote speaker with him at an Iran-EU online business conference next month. They cited that this event was funded by the EU and only served to reward the regime for its attempt to kill European citizens.
The letter was signed by:
- former European Parliament Vice-President Dr Alejo Vidal Quadras
- former Italian foreign minister of Giulio Terzi
- former UK MEP Struan Stevenson
- former Portuguese MEP Paulo Casaca
The letter read: “Where a ‘diplomat’ has attempted to effect mass murder in Europe, potentially killing and maiming many EU and other citizens, it is incumbent on the EU now to take tough retaliatory action.”
Vidal Quadras, the President of ISJ, said: “The silence of the EEAS and their blatant attempts to appease this terrorist regime are a disgrace and place EU citizens at risk from future attacks.”
