World · Europe · 11 hrs ago
Dutch prosecutors seek up to 20 years over plot to kill Iranian activist
Dutch prosecutors are seeking prison terms of up to 20 years for six suspects over a failed attempt to kill Iranian activist Siamak Tahmasbi.
The alleged attack took place at his home in Haarlem on the night of June 5-6, 2024.
Tahmasbi saw two men on his balcony and used an emergency button to alert police, who arrived within a minute and arrested two suspects carrying a loaded gun and a hammer.
Prosecutors say the group was an international team hired to kill Tahmasbi, who speaks out against Iran's government and had survived an earlier shooting attempt in the Netherlands.
The alleged coordinator, Sami Bekal Bounouare, is still wanted, and prosecutors are seeking 20 years in prison for him in his absence.
They say the case also concerns the right to freedom of expression, because Tahmasbi is an activist and publicist with no criminal ties.
The case is being heard in a high-security courtroom at Schiphol, but who ordered the attack may remain unknown; the AIVD intelligence service considers it likely the order came directly from Iran's government.
Dutch prosecutors have sought prison sentences of up to 20 years for six suspects over a failed attempt to kill Iranian activist Siamak Tahmasbi in Haarlem.
Prosecutors say the group planned the attack on the night of June 5-6, 2024.
Tahmasbi spotted two men on his balcony and alerted police, who arrived within a minute and arrested two suspects.
The alleged coordinator, Sami Bekal Bounouare, faces the 20-year request and remains at large.
The AIVD says the order for the attack likely came directly from Iran’s regime, but the trial is unlikely to establish who issued it.
- Who
- Six suspects, including five men and one woman, face prison demands. The intended victim was Iranian activist Siamak Tahmasbi.
- What
- Prosecutors seek sentences of up to 20 years over an alleged failed plot to kill Tahmasbi.
- When
- The alleged attack was planned for the night of June 5-6, 2024. Sentencing demands were reported on November 12, 2026.
- Where
- Tahmasbi’s apartment in Haarlem, the Netherlands.
- Why
- Prosecutors say the suspects acted in a plot to kill Tahmasbi. The AIVD says the order likely came directly from Iran’s regime.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Two men allegedly approached Tahmasbi’s apartment balcony in Haarlem, but he alerted police, who arrived within a minute and arrested them.
Mehrez A. admitted guilt at the start of the trial and said he had accepted the assignment for the money.
Prosecutors sought prison sentences of up to 20 years for the six suspects.
- Maximum sentence sought
- 20 years
- Suspects
- Six: five men and one woman
- Intended victim
- Siamak Tahmasbi, an Iranian publicist and activist
- Arrests
- Mehrez A., 40, and Gabriel O., 29
- Alleged coordinator
- Sami Bekal Bounouare, who remains at large
- Location
- Haarlem, Netherlands
3 sources
What people are saying
the right to freedom of expression
The fact that the victim is a journalist and activist, with no ties to the criminal underworld, further adds to the seriousness.