We applaud the decision by the Albanian government and the Prime Minister Edi Rama to expel Iran’s ambassador and another Iranian diplomat for plotting terrorist attacks in the country.

The Albanian authorities arrested two Iranian operatives on charges of terrorism in Tirana in March this year, plotting a bombing against members of the Iranian opposition, PMOI/MEK, who have taken up residents in Albania.

Another Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, is today waiting prosecution in Belgium for his role in the foiled bombing attack against the gathering of the Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), in Paris on 30 June 2018.

Following a detailed investigation by the French intelligence services, the French government concluded in October that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) was responsible for the June bombing in Paris and moved to seize assets belonging to the MOIS and two Iranian nationals, including the arrested diplomat, Assadollah Assadi.

A month later, the US Department of Justice announced the indictment of two Iranian nationals who “allegedly acting on behalf of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran by conducting covert surveillance of Israeli and Jewish facilities in the United States, and collecting identifying information about American citizens and U.S. nationals who are members of the group Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).”

The surge of terrorist activities and espionage by Iran’s regime against dissidents and the NCRI in 2018 comes amidst growing popular dissent and anti-regime protests in Iran, which senior Iranian officials blame on the opposition movement, the NCRI and the PMOI.

These foiled plots show that the Iranian government has taken a decision to use its embassies and diplomats to plan and carry out terrorist activities and espionage on European soil, especially against those who oppose the theocratic regime, in clear breach of international law.

The Albanian decision to expel Iranian diplomats sends the right message to Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, that European countries will not accept such unacceptable and illegal behaviour by the regime.

The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) calls on the UK government to publicly extend support to the Government of Albania and to work with other EU member states to thoroughly investigate and expose the danger of Iran's diplomatic missions supporting and engaging in terrorism in Europe, in particular against Iranian dissidents and pro-democracy activists. Those found involved in such act of state-sponsored terrorism by the regime in Iran must be prosecuted and expelled from European territories.

British Committee for Iran Freedom

20 December 2018