G7 charges of repression abroad ‘politically motivated,’ Iran says
Tehran on Sunday rejected a joint statement by G7 members and partners accusing Iran of assassination plots, kidnappings, and harassment of dissidents overseas.
Tehran on Sunday rejected a joint statement by G7 members and partners accusing Iran of assassination plots, kidnappings, and harassment of dissidents overseas.
“The allegations are sheer projection and a distortion of reality,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The governments behind the statement—particularly the United States, Britain, France, and Germany—were responsible for “unlawful and destabilizing conduct” in West Asia, read the statement.
G7 statement
The G7 Rapid Response Mechanism, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, along with Australia and New Zealand, issued the statement on Friday.
“Iranian intelligence services have increasingly attempted to kill, kidnap, and harass political opponents abroad, following a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of transnational repression, and clearly undermining state sovereignty,” the group said.
“Other malign activities include operations to obtain and disclose the personal information of journalists and attacks designed to divide societies and intimidate Jewish communities.”
“We will continue to safeguard our sovereignty, keep our communities safe, and defend individuals from the overreach of foreign governments trying to silence, intimidate, harass, harm, or coerce them within our borders,” the G7 added.
Iran dismissed the accusations. “The governments involved should correct their mistaken and criminal policies instead of deflecting responsibility,” the foreign ministry said.
Iranian security institutions act “only in defense of national stability,” it added.
Examples of Iranian operations abroad
Western officials have pointed to multiple cases in recent years. In 2018, European security services foiled a plot to bomb a rally of Iranian opposition figures near Paris. In 2021, US prosecutors charged four Iranian operatives in a plot to kidnap Iranian-American activist Masih Alinejad from New York.
British authorities have also reported multiple threats against Iran International journalists and opposition groups based in the UK, prompting police protection measures.
