Asadollah Asadi

Asadi was arrested while returning to his residence in Austria on a highway in the German state of Bavaria on June 10, 2018, accused of being involved in an attempted bombing at a gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (a political organisation opposing the Iranian regime) in Villepinte, north of Paris.{{Cite news|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55931633|title=France bomb plot: Iran diplomat Assadollah Assadi sentenced to 20 years|language=en|work=BBC ⁹News|date=4 February 2021 }} While Asadi was entitled to diplomatic immunity in the country of his posting, Austria, he did not have political immunity on German soil,{{Cite news |title=Belgian court sentences Iranian diplomat to 20 years over bomb plot |last=Boffey |first=Daniel |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 February 2021 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/04/assadollah-assadi-belgian-court-sentences-iranian-diplomat-20-years-french-bomb-plot}} although Iran objected, saying that it regarded the detention of Assadollah Assadi as unlawful and a violation of international law and the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention which only covers diplomats from any arrest in host country.{{Cite web|last=|date=2020-10-14|title=FM Spox terms violation of Iranian diplomat's immunity in Belgium unacceptable |url=https://en.irna.ir/news/84076377/FM-Spox-terms-violation-of-Iranian-diplomat-s-immunity-in-Belgium|website=Islamic Republic [of Iran] News Agency|language=en|archive-date=2020-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020093341/https://en.irna.ir/news/84076377/FM-Spox-terms-violation-of-Iranian-diplomat-s-immunity-in-Belgium|url-status=live}}

Belgian judicial authorities said that Asadi, along with two others, Nasim Naami (33 نسیم نعامی) and Amir Saadoni (امیر سعدونی 38), were suspects.{{Cite web|date=2018-07-02|title=دستگیری یک دیپلمات ایرانی در ارتباط با 'طرح بمب‌گذاری' در گرد‌هم‌آیی مجاهدین|url=https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-44685885|access-date=2020-11-26|website=BBC News فارسی|language=fa|archive-date=2020-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412002257/https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-44685885|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=سرنوشت "اسدالله اسدی" دیپلمات بازداشت‌شده ایرانی در ابهام/ وزارت خارجه برای دیپلمات خود چه کرد؟- اخبار مجلس و دول - اخبار سیاسی تسنیم - Tasnim|url=https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1398/04/11/2044210/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%BE%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%BE%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF-%DA%86%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF|access-date=2020-11-26|website=خبرگزاری تسنیم - Tasnim|language=fa|archive-date=2020-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126103343/https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1398/04/11/2044210/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%BE%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%BE%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF-%DA%86%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2018-07-04|title=فاصله یک ادعا تا واقعیت+ عکس|url=https://www.isna.ir/news/97041307761/فاصله-یک-ادعا-تا-واقعیت-عکس|access-date=2020-11-26|website=ایسنا|language=fa|archive-date=2020-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126163626/https://www.isna.ir/news/97041307761/%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84%D9%87-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B9%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%B9%DA%A9%D8%B3|url-status=live}}

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif tweeted:

How surprising it is that at the same time as our (Iranian delegation) traveled to Europe with the President of Iran, Iran's alleged operation was launched and one person was arrested. Iran explicitly condemns violence and terrorism everywhere and is ready to address any concerns in this regard.

Asadi, Naami, Saadoni, and Mehrdad Arefani were put on trial by a Belgian court. On 4 February 2021, Asadi was sentenced to 20 years for “attempted murder and involvement in terrorism.”{{Cite news|title=Iranian Diplomat Sentenced To 20 Years For Role In Foiled Bomb Attack|language=en|work=RadioLiberty|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-diplomat-assadi-sentenced-20-years-foiled-bomb-attack/31085913.html|access-date=2021-02-04}} During the trial, it emerged that the high-potential bomb used for the attack was transported inside a diplomatic suitcase and that the official, based in Vienna, left the diplomatic headquarters 289 times to travel around Europe.{{Cite web|date=2021-02-04|title=Condannato a 20 anni il diplomatico-terrorista iraniano che scorrazzava per l'Italia|url=https://formiche.net/2021/02/condannato-assadi-diplomatico-iraniano/|access-date=2021-02-05|website=Formiche.net|language=it-IT}}

A lawyer for the prosecution commented after the trial, "The ruling shows two things: a diplomat doesn't have immunity for criminal acts ... and the responsibility of the Iranian state in what could have been carnage."

On May 26, 2023 it was announced that Asadollah Asadi had been freed following a prisoner swap for Olivier Vandecasteele, a Belgian humanitarian worker who was arrested in Iran in 2022, charged with spying, money laundering and currency smuggling and sentenced to 40 years of prison in 2023 following a sham trial.{{Cite news |title=Olivier Vandecasteele est libre : un échange avec le diplomate iranien Assadi a été effectué à Oman |newspaper=La Libre Belgique|url= https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/2023/05/26/olivier-vandecasteele-est-libre-un-echange-avec-le-diplomate-iranien-assadi-a-ete-effectue-a-oman-ZOZQMDYGJJBXZJKUYLZ7GG4QMM/|language=FR}}{{cite news |last1=Verkerk |first1=Joris |last2=van Straaten |first2=Floris |title=Belgische hulpverlener Vandecasteele na bijna anderhalf jaar in Iraanse gevangenis op vrije voeten |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/05/26/belgische-hulpverlener-vandecasteele-na-bijna-anderhalf-jaar-in-iraanse-gevangenis-op-vrije-voeten-a4165692 |access-date=30 May 2023 |agency=NRC |language=Dutch}}

• Ahmad Reza Djalali
• Iran and state-sponsored terrorism
• Iranian diplomat terror plot trial
• Trial of Hamid Nouri

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asadi, Asadollah}}

Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Iranian diplomats

Category:People convicted on terrorism charges

Category:Prisoners and detainees of Belgium

Category:Prisoner exchanges

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