Dutch Iranian groups call for greater protection after police shooting
Shahin Sultany Taied, chairman of the Association of Iranian Academics in the Netherlands, called on the Dutch government to do more to protect people of Iranian background after an Iranian was shot in Schoonhoven. “I’m not sure how, but it needs to be addressed,” he said.
Taied warned that “the regime is cornered” and said this makes vigilance essential. “Iran is conducting terrorist activities overseas,” he added, urging the Dutch government to keep a close eye on the safety of Iranians living in the Netherlands.
The reason why the 36-year-old police officer from Schoonhoven was shot remains unclear. Justice Minister David van Weel noted that the man had publicly criticized the Iranian regime.
In response to the incident, security precautions have been put in place for other Iranian dissidents in the Netherlands, though the minister did not disclose how many people or what specific measures are involved.
The chairman said he does not know who the victim is and added that he is not afraid. “Perhaps it’s naive, but I keep going. The resistance has been active for years, and there have been previous shootings,” he explained.
The Association of Iranian Academics in the Netherlands will hold a demonstration on Sunday afternoon at Amsterdam’s Dam Square to show support for the Iranian people. “It’s going ahead as scheduled,” the organizers confirmed.
VluchtelingenWerk, a Dutch organization that supports asylum seekers and refugees, is calling for Iranian refugees who have publicly opposed the country’s leadership to be granted asylum in the Netherlands. The Cabinet, however, has temporarily postponed decisions on their applications, leaving the dissidents in prolonged uncertainty.
The appeal is not linked to the shooting. A VluchtelingenWerk spokesperson said, “Stories from Iranian refugees show that they face consequences for voicing protests. Sometimes the pressure is subtle, but it can also be severe.” Social media users, for instance, may receive messages from the Iranian government with explicit threats: “If you do this, you could be prosecuted in Iran. As a refugee, you know you are on their radar.”
