The alleged mastermind of a plot to bomb an Iranian opposition rally in France is refusing to leave his prison cell because he feels he has already been convicted in a “political” trial, a Belgian court heard on Thursday.
Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian’ diplomat based in Vienna, is accused of planning an attack on a dissidents’ rally in June 2018 and of personally delivering the explosives to a husband and wife sleeper cell to carry out the bombing.
Mr Assadi has refused to appear before a court in Antwerp during two days of hearings but claimed through his lawyer that his rights were violated when he was handcuffed after his arrest at a German motorway rest area the day after that attack had been due to be carried out.
He has since been held in prison in Germany and Belgium unable to contact his wife in Iran, and his bank account has been frozen, his lawyer Dimitri De Beco told the court.
“He feels he has already been convicted, while in fact he is innocent until proven guilty,” said Mr De Beco. “He feels this is a political trial.
“He is convinced this trial is more about Iran than about him. He feels that this is a political trial he doesn't want to attend. So he has asked me to represent him in his absence.”
Mr Assadi’s defence came after the alleged bomber team claimed that the explosive device they were carrying would not have injured anyone and were duped by the diplomat.
Mr Assadi is accused of handing over the device at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Luxembourg to Amir Saadouni, 40, and his wife Nasimeh Naami, 36, to leave at the Paris rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) attended by 25,000 people. Prosecutors say the attack could have caused a bloodbath.
Mr Saadouni said he had no intention of leaving it inside the building but in a car park where it would have caused a loud bang but injured nobody.
He said he trusted Mr Assadi "when he said the package he gave us only contained fireworks".
"He brought his wife and children when he handed it over. Why would he risk the life of his loved ones by taking them while transporting an explosive?" he told the court.
The couple, from Antwerp, and Mr Assadi are on trial along with another alleged Iranian spy, Mehrdad Arefani.
The court heard of a telephone conversation between the couple after their arrest in which Ms Naami said she could never have hurt anyone. She said: “We’ve foolishly accepted this device and put it in our car. We have been so stupid.”
In an emotional appeal to the court, she said: "Terrorism. Bomb. I can hardly get these words across my lips. They have nothing to do with who I am or what I stand for."
Mr Saadouni denies that he was involved in a potentially deadly attack, and was convinced the bomb would only cause only a loud noise, his lawyer Wouter Smet said on the second day of the trial.
“He refused on multiple occasions to place the bomb in the conference hall,” Mr Smet told the court. “He only agreed to place the device in the parking area. He considered it was too dangerous to place the device near people.”
Lawyers for Mr Saadouni and his wife, who are naturalised Belgians, called for the pair to be acquitted of plotting a terrorist attack.
They were arrested on the day of the planned attack when armed police swooped on their car in a Brussels suburb as they headed from their Antwerp home to the convention centre on the outskirts of Paris.
The conference was attended by a host of dignitaries including former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, a former House of Representatives speaker in the US.
The conclusion of a two-year pan-European police investigation was that the planned bombing was a clear case of state-backed terrorism, prosecutors told the court.
Mr Assadi was said to be a veteran of the Iranian Ministry of Internal Security (MOIS) – currently under EU sanctions – who was in regular contact with his superiors in Tehran.
His lawyer said he could not be convicted as a member of a terrorist group. “I don't think this court can judge that MOIS - a ministry of a recognised state - is a terrorist organisation,” said Mr De Beco.
“I simply believe this court is not qualified to make these kinds of decisions. Yet, this is what the prosecutor is asking the court."
Iran has said it will not recognise any verdict by the Belgian court against the diplomat. The country’s foreign ministry says he is innocent and that he has been “conspired against”.
If Mr Saadouni is convicted, his defence lawyers asked that he could keep his Belgian passport because he would face the death penalty if he returned to Iran after spying on dissidents while an apparent supporter of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MeK), the driving force behind the NCRI. Tehran considers the MeK a terrorist group and it has been banned since 1981.
“My client is hated by both sides,” Mr Smet said. “The MeK views him as an intruder, a liar.
“The Iranian regime sees him as a traitor, because he told the police everything about the strategies used by Iranian intelligence officers. If you revoke his Belgian passport, he would have to return to Iran. His return would equal the death penalty.”
Mr Smet said his client was relieved to be finally able to defend himself in court. “I admit he cried when he heard that Mr Assadi would not be present today,” he said.
“He was convinced Mr Assadi would confirm his story.”
Johan Platteau, defending Ms Naami, cast doubt that the explosive device would have caused a bloodbath as claimed by the prosecution.
“I have looked at photos showing the intervention [by police]. The bomb exploded when it was manipulated. Do we see a hole in the road? No. The asphalt is in perfect condition.
“The parked cars near the explosion are not damaged. Windows didn’t explode. Even the leaves that are on the ground didn't move. Would this explosive have caused a blood bath? I doubt it.”
The court will now consider its verdict after two days of hearings and a two-year police inquiry. It will deliver a verdict early next year.
SHAITTAN
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
