By: Beatrice Serra and Louise Requin/GICJ
In June 2018, and Iranian diplomat planned to launch a powerful bomb targeting a convention of the National Council of Resistance to Iran outside Paris, where thousands of opponents of the Iranian regime were gathered. The plot was allegedly headed by the Vienna-based Iranian diplomat Asadollah Assadi, but was discovered in an operation that involved a coordination of Belgian, German and French police.
On 4 February 2021, the Iranian diplomat, who was arrested in Germany and then extradited to Belgium, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Antwerp court. Three other Iranian intelligence officials were sentenced to prison for their involvment as accomplices. According to investigation and the court ruling, the terrorist act was authorized by and conducted on behalf of the Iranian government.
On November 17th and 18th 2021, the Antwerp Court in Belgium held the first hearing of appeal over the attempted Paris bombing of 2018. While the Iranian Diplomat Asadollah Assadi did not appeal and remained in prison, his three accomplices appealed the court's ruling against them.
Investigations showed that the attempted bombing aimed to assassinate Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance to Iran (NCRI), the MEK’s diplomatic wing. Maryam Rajavi is the leading voice of resistance to the Iranian authoritarianism. Some members of the opposition believe that the Iranian government orchestrated the bombing to retaliate against the MEK and other opposition groups, which they blamed of emboldening protestors in Iran. This came after several unusual street protests that took place in Iran between 2017 and 2018 to counter the regime. The decision of the Iranian government to attack territories outside its border is an attempt to silence the opposition groups which Iran labels as “criminal organizations”.
Thousands of Iranian opposition activists are expecting the Antwerp Court to reiterate the sentence against the accomplices. Holding them accountable for the attempted bombing will be the first step to investigate and put on trial other Iranian officials.
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) encourages the Court of Appeal to reiterate its previous ruling. We believe that the Iranian officials responsible for the attempted bombing should be held accountable for their crimes. The freedom of expression, association and assembly of the MEK must be guaranteed. The international community should continue to provide accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and transnational crimes.
Justice, Human rights, Geneva, geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneva International Centre For Justice
