Vincent Van Quickenborne opens the door for the actual release of an Iranian terrorist

Last week, it became known that the federal government had quietly put a bill on the Foreign Affairs Committee’s agenda to make the exchange of prisoners with Iran possible. During the discussion, Minister of Justice Van Quickenborne (Open Vld party) could not guarantee that the convicted terrorist Assadollah Assadi would not be given safe conduct.  “Approving this treaty means that we are officially allowing ourselves to be blackmailed by a rogue regime,” says a critical Peter De Roover.

Let’s return briefly to 2018. On the orders of the Iranian Ayatollah dictatorship, the Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi was planning to commit a heavy bomb attack on an international gathering of the Iranian opposition in Paris, attended by tens of thousands of regime opponents. Due to the good work of the security services, he was caught in time and a massacre was thus avoided. Assadi is currently in a Belgian prison, sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.

A treaty through parliament by stealth?

Barely a full year after Assadi’s conviction, a package of five treaties appeared in the Chamber, very unusually incorporated into a bill, including a treaty with Iran that should make the exchange of prisoners with Iran possible. “This veiled approach raises the suspicion that the government has tried to get this agreement through by stealth,” says Peter De Roover.

There are whispers in the media that Assadi and his three companions would be used to free a Belgian and Professor Djalali held in Iran. “As a former victim of the regime, I feel the pain of the victims and their loved ones, but I cannot help but warn against the cold-blooded blackmail that the De Croo government risks getting involved in,” says MP Darya Safai. “This kind of barter has been the Ayatollahs’ business model for decades: selling Western hostages for high prices,” concludes Darya Safai, who also points out that the treaty would not apply to Djalali in any case.

True colours

The treaty in question was discussed in the Committee on the Interior. Peter De Roover reiterated that the content of the deal with Iran has far-reaching implications for our national security. “Whether we approve this or not, we are showing our true colours. Either Belgium wants to be a reliable partner in the international fight against terrorism, or a country that can be blackmailed and a safe haven for terrorists. It is one or the other.”

Headbutt to Justice

The Minister of Justice could not give any guarantee that Assadi would not in fact be handed over to Iran. That is a huge problem for De Roover: “What we are saying to rogue states with this agreement is: ‘You may well attempt to carry out an attack, but if you then arrest a Belgian, we will release the terrorists.’ Belgians will run new risks of being caught by the scruff of the neck as bargaining chips, even without having committed any criminal offences. Moreover, this treaty is a solid headbutt to our security services and the judiciary.”