Be careful, daughter of murdered Iranian activist warns exiles

THE HAGUE: The daughter of an Iranian-Arab activist killed in the Netherlands last month linked his death to political conflict in the Middle East, and warned other exiles in Europe to be on their guard.

Ahmad Mola Nissi, 52, was gunned down by an unidentified assailant in front of his home in The Hague on Nov. 8 in a suspected political killing.

Hawra Nissi said her father’s death was reminiscent of a string of murders of Iranian dissidents in Europe in the 1990s.

“Europe seems safe, but be careful,” she told Reuters in an interview.

Mola Nissi established the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz (ASMLA), which seeks a separate state in Iran’s oilrich southwestern Khuzestan province, in 1999.

Since his murder, his family have been under Dutch police protection at a safe house.

“We came here to be safe but we don’t feel safe. European governments should do more to secure the safety of activists,” Hawra, 25, said.

Ahvazi Arabs are a minority in mainly ethnic Persian Iran, and some see themselves as victims of occupation and want independence or autonomy.

“The family is open to all scenarios. Iran is a prime suspect...,” Hawra said. Police are exploring a possible link between Nissi’s killing and the unsolved murder of another Iranian near Amsterdam in December 2015, a spokeswoman said.

They are looking for two suspects believed to have gunned down Ali Motamed.