Belgian Court Annuls Extradition Ban on Assadollah Assadi to Iran

Belgian news agency “Belga” reported on Tuesday, October 3, that a Belgian court has annulled the ruling that banned the extradition of Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat who was convicted of terrorist crimes in the country.

This ruling paves the way for the controversial exchange of Olivier Vandecasteele, a Belgian aid worker who has been imprisoned in Iran since February, with Mr. Assadi.

The exchange of these two prisoners is part of an agreement between Iran and Belgium that has faced considerable criticism.

The Belgian Parliament approved the prisoner exchange agreement last July, despite widespread criticism. However, opponents managed to obtain a temporary extradition ban on Assadollah Assadi from a Belgian court in the same month.

The extradition ban was not renewed on Tuesday; however, the Belgian court ruling remains subject to appeal.

Critics of the Islamic Republic accuse the Belgian government of capitulating to Iran’s “despotic” regime and opening the door for future extortion attempts. However, Belgium’s prime minister has rejected the criticism of this agreement, stating that the Belgian government will do everything in its power to secure the freedom of its citizen who is imprisoned unjustly.

A Belgian court last year upheld a 20-year prison sentence for Assadollah Assadi for allegedly orchestrating a 2018 attack on a gathering of supporters and members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq organization in France. Mr. Assadi is accused of being active as a diplomat at Iran’s embassy in Vienna, and in the Belgian prosecutor’s indictment, he is referred to as the leader of this operation against the gathering of supporters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq organization.

Meanwhile, Assadollah Assadi’s connection to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has fueled further controversy, with the French government accusing Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence of planning and executing this plot.

Source: Radio Farda