Iranian opponents spied for Saudis in the Netherlands: Report

Members of the Iranian opposition movement, ASMLA, also carried out espionage missions in the Netherlands on behalf of Saudi Arabia, Dutch radio program Argos reported on the basis of court documents from Denmark. During a closed-door trial in Denmark last week, three leaders of the Arab-Iranian organization were found guilty of spying for the Saudi intelligence service, GIP.

Argos reviewed the court documents alongside the Danish public broadcaster DR and the Norwegian broadcaster, NRK.

The documents show that ASMLA, which stands for the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz, spied on at least three people in the Netherlands. One of them was the Iranian-Dutch human rights activist Faleh Abdullah Mansouri. The organization also monitored ASMLA founder Ahmad Mola Nissi, who was shot dead in The Hague in 2017. He had previously opposed Saudi influence over the ASMLA.

Worldwide, members of ASMLA monitored at least 150 Iranian refugees and potential opponents of the Saudi regime, Argos said. The group is fighting for an independent Ahwaz in Khuzestan in southwestern Iran. The link between ASMLA and the Saudis has been known for some time.

Two years ago, former Foreign Affairs Minister Stef Blok, called the Saudi ambassador to the fore. That happened after Denmark arrested the three ASMLA leaders, who have now been found guilty, on suspicion of spying for the Saudis. Blok then announced that no charges had been filed for espionage in the Netherlands.