Iran accused of assassinating dissident on Istanbul street
The assassination in Istanbul of a prominent Iranian dissident is evidence that the regime in Tehran is continuing to conduct illegal overseas operations and “disrespect” its neighbors, analysts told Arab News on Sunday.
Two intelligence officers at Iran’s consulate in Turkey instigated the murder of Masoud Molavi Vardanjani, a vocal critic of Tehran’s political and military leadership, Reuters news agency reported.
Vardanjani was shot dead on an Istanbul street on Nov. 14, 2019, a little over a year after he left Iran.
Seth J. Frantzman, executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis, said the assassination was an illegal act that warranted a harsh response.
“Iran appears to have shown blatant disregard for Turkey’s sovereignty, even using its diplomatic posts and passports for this brazen act. This requires more than just a diplomatic complaint,” Frantzman told Arab News.
“It shows how Iran disregards borders in the region and globally. Internationally, countries should take this very seriously as part of a pattern of Iran’s assassinations of dissenters, a policy going back decades.”
“Iran appears to have shown blatant disregard for Turkey’s sovereignty, even using its diplomatic posts and passports for this brazen act.”
The murder illustrates that while Iran is demanding international sanctions be reduced, it has continued to conduct illegal overseas operations and “disrespect” its neighbors, Frantzman said.
Vardanjani was an outspoken critic of Iran who frequently targeted Tehran’s military and political leaders on social media.
“I will root out the corrupt mafia commanders. Pray that they don’t kill me before I do this,” he wrote three months before he was killed. Before he fled Iran, Vardanjani worked in the Defense Ministry as a cybersecurity official. He also held a doctoral degree in artificial intelligence studies.
Turkish authorities have conducted an investigation into Vardanjani’s murder and have arrested several people, both Turks and Iranians.
Such a brazen assassination carried out on Turkish soil will further undermine ties between Ankara and Tehran, and the Turkish government is expected to take up the issue with Iran through diplomatic channels.