Iran, accused of “trying to kill, kidnap and harass people in Europe and North America.” Declaration issued by 14 Western governments
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photo source: Zuma Press Wire / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The US and 13 of its allies accused Iran on Thursday by a common statement of trying to kill or kidnap people in Western countries, including dissidents, journalists and officials, AFP reports.
According to the White House, the statement was signed by the US governments, the United Kingdom, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, which condemns the “increasing number of state threats from Iranian information services on our territories.”
“We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian information services to kill, kidnap and harass people in Europe and North America, in a clear violation of our sovereignty,” the common statement said.
“These services are becoming more and more collaborating with international criminal organizations to target journalists, dissidents, Jewish citizens and current and former officials from Europe and North America. This is unacceptable,” writes in the statement.
Also this month, a British parliamentary commission has accused Iran for at least 15 attempts to kill or abduct people living in the United Kingdom, committed with 2022.
At the same time, the Dutch intelligence services accused Tehran of organizing an attempt to assassinate an Iranian living in the Netherlands. The plot was dismantled by the intervention of the police, being arrested two suspects.
One of the two detained persons was also suspected of involvement in the attempt to assassinate the right-wing Spanish politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a supporter of the Iranian opposition, who was shot in Madrid in the same year.
In 2023, the US Department of Justice announced the accused of three members of a European criminal band, which he accused of set up a plot supported by Tehran for the assassination of an Iranian-American journalist.
“We consider these types of attacks, regardless of target, violations of our sovereignty. We are committed to collaborating to prevent these actions and call on Iranian authorities to immediately end these illegal activities on our territories,” writes in the common statement issued on Thursday.
