Sweden: Stockholm Mosque Was a 'Spy Base' for the Islamic Republic

On Monday, February 4, the Swedish government accused the 'Imam Ali Islamic Center' in Stockholm of serving as a platform for espionage by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Iranian and Swedish citizens. Jakob Forssmed, Sweden's Minister of Social Affairs, announced on social media platform X that, based on the assessment of the country's security service, the Islamic Republic had been using the 'Imam Ali Center' in Stockholm as a base for espionage and conducting activities that threaten security. Forssmed called the matter 'extremely serious' and added that Sweden had cut all government financial assistance to this center. This senior Swedish official, without providing details, mentioned an upcoming 'dual process' regarding this issue. Reports indicate that Mohsen Hakim Elahi, a 63-year-old Iranian imam at the 'Imam Ali Islamic Center,' has been arrested and is on the verge of being expelled from Sweden. The Minister of Social Affairs emphasized that 'public funds should not be used for activities contrary to fundamental democratic values.' The 'Imam Ali Islamic Center' has not yet reacted to this news. In a statement published on the center's website, the 'Imam Ali Center' described itself as an independent organization with 'no affiliation' to political parties or 'any government or specific entity.' This Islamic center, rejecting the allegations of receiving money from foreign governments, claimed to have implemented strict oversight to ensure that no criminal exploitation occurs within this institution. Meanwhile, Ismail Baqai, a spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry, announced that the Swedish ambassador in Tehran was summoned on Sunday, February 13, in protest of the arrest of Mohsen Hakim Elahi, the imam of the 'Imam Ali Center.' However, Gabriel Wernstedt, a spokesperson for Sweden's security agency, stated that this agency is capable of detaining or expelling non-Swedish individuals who pose a threat to the national security of the country. German authorities also prevented the continued activities of the 'As-Salam' Islamic center in Brandenburg, near Berlin, last September due to its support for Hamas, and expelled the head of the Hamburg Islamic center for 'connections with extremist groups.'