Arrest of Cleric at the Islamic Center 'Imam Ali' in Sweden; He is Facing Deportation

Reports indicate that Mohsen Hakimollahi, a 63-year-old Iranian cleric and Imam of the 'Imam Ali' Islamic Center in the outskirts of Stockholm, which is considered the largest Shia community in Northern Europe, has been arrested and is set to be deported from Sweden. According to reports, individuals in plain clothes visited the residence of this Iranian cleric about two weeks ago at midnight and took him away. Sources close to Hakimollahi state that he has been in detention for over ten days and is being held at one of Sweden's immigration centers. According to documents from the Swedish Migration Agency, the deportation order for this cleric affiliated with the Islamic Republic was issued on January 30. It is reported that Mohsen Hakimollahi, who was sent to Sweden by Tehran in 2011 to take charge of the leadership of this Shia center, received permanent residency in Sweden in December 2017. However, Sweden has now revoked this permit. Officials at the 'Imam Ali' Islamic Center have refrained from commenting on the arrest and deportation of their 'Imam' and have expressed ignorance about the situation. On the other hand, Gabriel Wernstedt, a spokesperson for the Swedish Security Service, announced that this agency has not conducted any judicial investigations regarding Hakimollahi. He refrained from commenting on the possible role of this agency in the arrest and deportation of this cleric affiliated with the Islamic Republic but emphasized that the Swedish Security Service has the authority to detain or deport non-Swedish individuals who are considered a threat to national security. Prior to Sweden, German authorities had previously prevented the continuation of activities at the 'As-Salam' Islamic Center in Brandenburg near Berlin due to its support for Hamas and had expelled the head of the Hamburg Islamic Center due to 'connections with extremist groups.'