Spies infiltrate protests in Iran

The Iranian people have been protesting against their regime for weeks. Human rights groups report hundreds of deaths among the protesters.

In Europe, too, people take to the streets in solidarity. For example, Free Iran Switzerland is calling for a national rally in Bern tomorrow Saturday. The participants want to call on the Federal Council to stop watching and take sanctions. After all, even schoolchildren would be arrested, raped and brutally murdered.

The EU has already imposed sanctions for the brutal actions of the security forces. However, Switzerland does not participate. Bern only approves the delivery of Iranian combat drones to Russia.

Those loyal to the regime may disrupt the demo

Up to 2,000 protesters are expected in Bern on Saturday. And a handful of supporters of the mullahs’ regime. Those loyal to the regime mingle with the peaceful demonstrators to cause unrest. Recently, a loud argument broke out during a demonstration. Protests have already escalated in other European capitals such as London, Paris and Berlin.

There was even a stabbing in Berlin. As the “Berliner Zeitung” reports, three unidentified men attacked a vigil of exiled Iranians outside the Iranian embassy in Berlin-Dahlem on Sunday night, injuring several people.

“Intensifying Activities”

The Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) is aware that circles close to the regime repeatedly exert influence. Upon request, the FIS refers to passages in the “Switzerland Security” management report from 2020. The current assessment has not changed since then.

“However, the FIS has information that points to an intensification of Iran’s intelligence activities in Switzerland,” spokeswoman Isabelle Graber told Blick.

Even physical violence

According to the situation report, certain governments are spying on their own compatriots in Europe. Regime critics, opposition members and minorities are targeted when viewed as a threat by the ruling regime. The compatriots are not only checked, but also threatened and blackmailed. “This can go as far as using physical force,” the FIS said.

To monitor the diaspora, regimes often make use of informants from these communities, who do so out of conviction or who are financially tempted to do so. Or family members who stay at home are used as leverage to get people to agree to spy on compatriots in Europe. Finally, the FIS regularly states that agents are smuggled in with asylum seekers.

“As far as Iran is concerned, the regime’s opponents living abroad are being watched in particular – given the mounting international tensions and the discontent of the Iranians with their government, the trend is likely to increase,” the FIS said. In recent years, the Iranian services have not hesitated to act with all seriousness. They are strongly suspected of carrying out two attacks on opposition members in the Netherlands in 2015 and 2017. In France and Denmark, the authorities were able to prevent attacks on Iranian opposition figures in 2018.

Murder in Switzerland

The Swiss intelligence service emphasizes that Iran does not shy away from violence on Swiss soil: “In 1990 the Iranian opposition figure Kazem Rajavi was murdered by an Iranian commando in the canton of Vaud.”

As NDB spokeswoman Isabelle Graber says, espionage is now also taking place in cyberspace: “Cyber ​​actors supported by the Iranian secret service have ramped up their cyber-espionage activities in recent years.” They targeted universities, researchers, journalists, government officials around the world, as well as the Iranian diaspora abroad. Companies in the petrochemical sector, in the machine industry and manufacturers of industrial control systems are also being spied on by cyber actions by Iranian actors. Graber: “Switzerland is no exception as a target of such Iranian cyberattacks.”

cultural workers and members of parliament

But all this did not stop the organizers of Saturday’s rally. From 2.30 pm to about 4 pm they protest on the Bundesplatz in Bern. Speakers include celebrities such as writer Lukas Bärfuss (50), Central National Councilor Marianne Binder (64), SP Co-Chairman Cédric Wermuth (36), SP National Councilor Flavia Wasserfallen (43) and Green National Councilor Natalie Imboden (52). The event will be musically accompanied by rapper Big Zis (46), Ella Ronen (35), known for the first season of “The Voice of Switzerland” and Arash Gharib.

The Bernese cantonal police expects a peaceful demonstration on Saturday. The organizers are in touch with the Kapo and commend their efforts so that they can voice their concerns at the Bundesplatz. According to his own words, the Kapo will also maintain contact with the organizers of the approved rally on the day of the rally.