Iran deal Vandecasteele: Vlaams Belang is afraid of the release of an Iranian terrorist

The Constitutional Court on Friday rejected an appeal against the Iran deal, which means that a treaty that provides for an exchange of prisoners between our country and Iran remains intact. The deal could be important for the release of Oliver Vandecasteele, the Belgian aid worker who has been held in an Iranian cell for more than a year.

EUROPEAN SECURITY AT RISK

In exchange for his release, Belgium could transfer Iranian dummy diplomat Assadolah Assadi to Iran. In 2021, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in our country for his role in a – foiled – terrorist attack in Paris. Just like N-VA, Vlaams Belang has also taken note of the judgment “with surprise”. The party fears that the verdict will open the door to Assadi’s extradition and release. “On the one hand, it is a very wrong precedent with which we give in to Tehran’s blackmail policy. On the other hand, it is downright dangerous for our national and European security to let this terrorist go his own way again,” says Member of Parliament Ellen Samyn. “Under no circumstances should we proceed to extradition,” it sounds. For Vlaams Belang, Assadi must therefore remain in jail and the government may not implement this “perfidious agreement”.