Spain charges 8 in Iran-linked assassination attempt on ex-politician Vidal-Quadras
Vidal-Quadras, 80, a founder of Spain's far-right Vox party, was shot in the face by a motorbike pillion passenger as he walked through Madrid's upscale Salamanca neighborhood on November 9, 2023. The bullet passed through his jaw.
Investigating judge Santiago Pedraz said the assault was ordered by unidentified individuals seeking revenge for Vidal-Quadras' advocacy for resistance to Iran's clerical government.
'Unidentified individuals instructed members of the criminal organization ... to carry out 'a mission' consisting of ending the life of Alejo Vidal-Quadras,' the judge said in a court document seen by Reuters.
The suspects, Pedraz said, were part of a coordinated group involved in crimes targeting the lives of individuals, with some members reportedly under investigation in multiple countries.
The Dutch intelligence agency said earlier this year it suspected Tehran of being behind two assassination attempts in Europe. The suspected hitman in the Vidal-Quadras case was arrested in Netherlands, where he is also linked to an assassination attempt on an Iranian resident.
The eight suspects, charged with membership in a criminal organization and attempted terrorist murder, are alleged to have procured materials such as vehicles, funds and weapons as part of their operation, the judge said.
'I am very happy that the judge has produced this statement because that reflects the reality of the case,' Vidal-Quadras told Reuters on Wednesday. 'Let's hope that now the government will take some action.'
Prosecutors and defense lawyers may appeal the charges before the case moves to trial.
Iran had included Vidal-Quadras on a sanctions list in October 2022, in retaliation for EU sanctions imposed after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly flouting Iran's mandatory dress code.
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