Washington Post: The Islamic Republic Uses Criminals to Target Critics Abroad

On Thursday, September 13, the Washington Post reported on the "Islamic Republic's use of criminal groups to target its critics outside Iran," stating that the Iranian government has established relationships with criminal networks to carry out violent plots in the US and Europe. The report referenced the attack on Pouria Zareati, a journalist for the Persian-language network Iran International, who was stabbed in front of his home in suburban London last April. It noted that none of the attackers were Iranian and had no significant connection to the Iranian security services. Officials stated that the Islamic Republic hired criminals from Eastern Europe who entered the UK through Heathrow Airport without any issues and had been monitoring Zareati for an extended period. The newspaper added that the attack did not result in Zareati's death, possibly to avoid repercussions from the death of a British citizen. According to the report, the Islamic Republic's collaboration with criminal groups instead of using its covert operatives indicates a troubling shift in government methods, which US and other Western security officials consider one of the most dangerous practitioners of "transnational repression" in the world. This term refers to governments that use violence and intimidation in the independent territories of others to silence opponents, critics, and journalists. The Washington Post stated that senior security officials say the use of criminal groups by governments has made it difficult to protect individuals who have sought refuge in the US, Europe, and other countries. The report mentions that security services, previously focused on tracking agents of the Russian intelligence agency or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are now facing plots often transmitted through encrypted channels to criminal networks rooted in Western countries. The Islamic Republic has outsourced its deadly operations and kidnappings in recent years to criminal gangs such as the Hells Angels, a notorious Russian mob network known as the "Law Thieves," a heroin distribution syndicate led by an Iranian drug trafficker, and violent criminal groups from Scandinavia to South America. The Washington Post's report reveals new details about how the Islamic Republic has established connections and exploited criminal networks in recent plots, which have been secretly organized by special units within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Ministry of Intelligence. The Washington Post stated that this report is based on interviews with senior officials in over 12 countries, the review of hundreds of pages of criminal court records in the US and Europe, and documents obtained from security services. London police are working with international partners to gather more information on the suspects in the attack on Pouria Zareati. Masih Alinejad stated that the Islamic Republic's support arms in the West will be exposed. The US and the UK sanctioned 11 individuals linked to the Islamic Republic for "transnational repression." The European Union condemned the execution of Habib Asiyud in the strongest terms. Ghazaleh Sharmeh urged American lawmakers to do everything possible for the freedom of her father and other hostages. There have been widespread calls for similar actions from Australia and Europe in response to Canada's designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.