The verdict of the Iranian regime’s terrorist diplomat Assadollah Assadi was returned by a Belgian federal court on Thursday the 4th of February. He was given the 20-year maximum sentence that prosecutors called for.
According to reports tallied by Iran’s main opposition, the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Assadi is the first Iranian diplomat to be charged with masterminding and plotting terrorist attacks, but he is not the first Iranian diplomat to be involved with such activity. The Iranian regime uses its foreign embassies as centers of espionage and terrorism.
Although Assadi and three co-conspirators were charged, the Iranian regime’s network of operatives in Europe goes much further.
There are calls for firm action to be taken, such as a reassessment of relations with Iran and the end to policies of appeasement. The International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ) recommended exactly this, saying that anything other than firm action is allowing and even emboldening the Iranian regime to continue plotting terrorist attacks on European soil.
It's a wakeup call for European leaders to view #Iran’s diplomacy for what it is:
A terror machine that is threatening the security of all European citizens.
Only a firm policy will bring the regime’s terrorism apparatus to heel.#ExpelIranDiplomatTerrorists pic.twitter.com/ka1wE44viX
— International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ) (@isjcommittee) January 30, 2021
It cannot be denied that Assadi’s conviction is a positive move in the right direction, but the most critical part of this is the aftermath. Now is the time for the international community to assess the situation and change their policies that are ineffective and allow the regime to have such an extensive terrorist network.
Convicting Assadi and his three accomplices is not going to have much of an impact on this network, but there are other actions that will make a difference. Increased international pressure is an obvious solution, especially through the use of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Making the regime understand that there are consequences for its belligerence should be a given and it might make Iran think twice when it realizes that the consequences are profound and long-lasting.
And as a result of this trial and conviction, perhaps more attention will be drawn towards the regime’s opposition – the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
The Iranian regime is clearly threatened by the opposition that is working towards a peaceful and free Iran, so much so that its leader – Mrs. Maryam Rajavi – was the main target of the foiled plot that Assadi was charged for.
Indeed, the (PMOI / MEK Iran) has been targeted by the regime for decades. It has tried to annihilate the opposition on many occasions, one of which was the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners.
However, the harder the regime tries to silence the opposition, the more it is determined to succeed in its goals of achieving a free and democratic Iran. The people of Iran have shown their determination, most notably during the most recent uprisings when they have literally risked their lives, imprisonment, or serious injury just to make their voices heard.
Now that the court in Belgium has officially established that the Iranian regime has an extensive network of terrorists across the European Union, action must be taken.
The international community has a responsibility to act and to make sure that it no longer turns a blind eye to such terrorist activity.
