The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), in its annual report published in April, accused Iran’s regime of attempting to assassinate an Iranian activist residing in the city of Haarlem.
This incident occurred in June 2024, when two men attempted to enter the home of this Iranian dissident via the balcony at midnight. Thanks to his quick call to the police, the two individuals were arrested. According to the AIVD report, during the operation, these individuals were in contact via phone with a third person, who appeared to be directing the operation remotely.
One of the suspects, Mehrez Ayari, a 38-year-old Tunisian national, had previously been wanted for his connections to criminal networks and for his failed assassination attempt on Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a Spanish politician and critic of the Iranian regime, in Madrid in November 2023. Ayari was also under investigation for the murder of a drug dealer in France in 2022.
Arrest of Suspect in Shooting of Spanish Politician Supporting Iranian Opposition
The failed attack on this Spanish politician follows a pattern that Iran’s regime has used for years: employing criminal networks in Europe to silence its opponents.
The Iranian regime uses a time-tested method that makes legal proof of its involvement in issuing orders extremely difficult.
The Dutch intelligence agency emphasized in its report that Tehran uses criminal networks to target its dissidents in Europe. These methods include using non-Iranian individuals to carry out assassination operations, allowing the regime to deny any involvement.
In response to this report, Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp summoned Iran’s ambassador. This is the first time in recent years that Dutch officials have publicly accused a foreign country of planning a targeted attack on Dutch soil. Previously, in 2019, two Iranian diplomats were expelled from the Netherlands over similar allegations.
During 2015 and 2017, Dutch intelligence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remained silent for years, a stance that led to dissatisfaction among much of the Iranian community in the Netherlands and members of the Dutch Parliament. This closed approach has now changed.
The Iranian diaspora in the Netherlands has repeatedly called for greater protection.
Since 2022, the Dutch Parliament has called for the establishment of a National Reporting Center to address threats and intimidation against migrants. This plan has not yet been launched, but the current government intends to start a pilot program by the end of this year.
