Dutch secret service failed to share threat information on assassinated Iranian activist

Dutch intelligence service AIVD had information about a serious threat to Ahmad Mola Nissi, an opponent of the Iranian regime who was assassinated in The Hague in 2017, but failed to share it with the Public Prosecution Service (OM). This revelation comes from an investigation by Argos and Follow the Money published on Saturday.

Nissi, who opposed the Iranian regime, fled to the Netherlands in 2005. He was active in the political wing of Asmla, a movement that champions the rights of the Ahwazi people of Khuzestan. However, the Iranian regime classifies Asmla as a terrorist organization.

He was assassinated outside his home in The Hague in November 2017. Questions have arisen about what the Netherlands might or should have known leading up to the assassination. Nissi's family said he feared for his safety and alleged that Dutch authorities did not adequately protect him.

Argos and Follow the Money's investigation revealed that while the AIVD had information about threats to Nissi, they did not share it. Responding to a complaint from Nissi's relatives, the AIVD admitted they should have relayed the information to the Public Prosecution Service.

According to the investigation, the AIVD informed Nissi's widow and children that the murder might have been prevented with better protection. They also mentioned that they took no action initially because the threat was not deemed concrete.

The family's lawyers confirmed these findings. "We conclude that a protective measure was denied to Ahmad Mola Nissi that could have possibly saved his life," said Barbara Van Straaten, the lawyer for the family. According to her, the familiy finds it "incomprehensible" that the AIVD did not do more to warn Nissi about the threats.