Darya Safai to Voice of America: Asadi, the released terrorist, marks a 'very bitter and dark' day

The exchange of two prisoners between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Belgium, mediated by Oman, has faced widespread criticism from human rights activists. Olivier Vandecasteele, a Belgian humanitarian worker, was arrested by the security forces of the Islamic Republic in February 2022 and sentenced to '40 years' in prison on charges of 'espionage.' He was exchanged on Friday, June 5, with Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat who was convicted in Belgium for his involvement in a bombing operation against a gathering of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization in Paris. Darya Safai, a member of the Belgian Parliament, told the Persian section of Voice of America that the government had informed the parliament that if this exchange were to take place, they would be notified, but this did not happen. She stated that this exchange was carried out by Oman under agreements it had prepared between the two countries. Darya Safai added, 'Unfortunately, when Assadollah Assadi leaves Belgian soil, even if a court complaint is filed against the government, he will not be returned, and ultimately compensation will be paid to the victims' families.' This Belgian parliament member emphasized that Assadi is a terrorist who has been released and that 'this is a very bitter and dark day.' She said that one should not lose hope, but it should be understood that the power of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' revolution was what compelled Western governments to refrain from proceeding with this action. Darya Safai also reacted to the Belgian government's action in a tweet, stating, 'Innocent compatriot Olivier Vandecasteele has finally been freed and reunited with his loved ones, but let us not forget that the convicted terrorist Assadi is now free, and the victims were not informed, which required a court ruling.' In her tweet, Darya Safai posed the question of what would happen if the next Belgian citizen were detained as a 'bargaining chip' by 'this inhumane regime.' The National Council of Resistance of Iran, associated with the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization and one of the oldest groups seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic, also strongly condemned the Belgian government's action in a statement. The statement read: 'The release of a terrorist who organized and commanded the largest criminal act in Europe after World War II, in clear violation of a court ruling, is a shameful ransom to terrorism and hostage-taking.' The International Committee 'Searching for Justice' also described the Belgian government's action in a tweet as 'a shameful chapter in the history of Belgian foreign policy,' stating, 'The release of the Iranian regime's terrorist diplomat before the end of his sentence is a major betrayal of human rights and strengthens terrorism.' Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of Iran Human Rights, also deemed this action 'a shameful page in the history of Belgian foreign policy,' using the hashtag #ShamefulDeal, stating, 'This deal endangers the security of all European citizens and dual nationals traveling to Iran or neighboring countries, sending the message to the Islamic Republic that whatever crime you commit, we are ready to negotiate.' Len Khodorkovsky, a former advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State, tweeted that the release of Assadollah Assadi, who executed the regime's plans to kill Iranian dissidents, by Belgium will lead to more terrorist plots and hostage-taking on European soil. He added that this action sends the message to the Iranian people that Belgium is only talkative regarding holding the Islamic Republic accountable. Jason Brodsky, the policy director of the 'United Against a Nuclear Iran' organization, expressed satisfaction with the release of Olivier Vandecasteele but stated that this action has allowed the Islamic Republic to achieve a false equivalence between innocent humanitarian workers and convicted terrorists in prisoner exchanges. Brodsky described this as a 'bad precedent' for Belgium. Vahid Beheshti, a human rights activist, tweeted, 'The exchange of a humanitarian worker for a terrorist once again showcased the West's weak stance regarding the IRGC's hostage-taking policy.' Vahid Beheshti further stated that Belgium released a terrorist who appeared as a diplomat to exploit his diplomatic immunity for smuggling explosives and planning a terrorist attack in this country. He said, 'When holding terrorists accountable should be a priority, this Western decision is shameful.' Observers of Iranian affairs say that the Islamic Republic intends to use the detention of citizens from other countries, especially dual nationals, as leverage in its relations with other countries, effectively taking them hostage with false accusations. In 2015, coinciding with the nuclear agreement, the Islamic Republic exchanged five foreign and dual-national prisoners with Iranian prisoners in the U.S. Among the dual nationals imprisoned in Iran are Kamran Ghaderi and Masoud Mohseni, Iranian-Austrian citizens, Nahid Taghavi, an Iranian-German citizen, Mehran Raouf, an Iranian-British citizen, and Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish citizen. Additionally, Morad Tahbaz, a triple national (Iranian, American, British), Siamak Namazi and Emad Sharqi, Iranian-American citizens, and Shahab Dalili, an Iranian permanent resident of the U.S., are also imprisoned. The actions of the U.S. government against individuals and entities in Russia and Iran involved in the hostage-taking of American citizens.