It was a chilling message in a call from the police: "The Islamic republic is trying to kidnap you and take you to Iran."
Darya Safai, a Belgian lawmaker of Iranian origin, revealed details of the call this week. In an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda, she said the plot followed earlier death threats from Iran.
"The security forces themselves were really surprised at how it was possible for them to be going after a member of parliament because this is an open declaration of war against European countries," she said.
Safai's is not an isolated case.
Three days after she revealed the warning she had received from Belgian police, a joint statement was issued by the United States and 13 Western allies on "Iranian State Threat Activity."
"We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty," the July 31 statement said.
It did not go into details but follows a series of recent cases in Western countries.
British spy chief Ken McCallum said in October 2024 that police and intelligence services had thwarted more than 20 Iran-linked plots to kidnap or murder people in the United Kingdom since early 2022, including British nationals.
In March, two Russian men were convicted for a plot, with Tehran's support, to assassinate Iranian-American dissident journalist Masih Alinejad.
There have been similar incidences reported in other countries that signed the statement, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Iran's Foreign Ministry rejected the joint statement on August 1, saying the accusations were "blatant fabrications and a diversionary tactic, part of a malicious campaign of Iranophobia aimed at pressuring the Iranian people."
Safai welcomed the joint statement, having told RFE/RL days before that "the first thing European governments can do is believe that the Islamic republic does not understand the language of diplomacy."
Born in Tehran in 1975, Safai was briefly detained for taking part in student protests in 1999 before fleeing to Belgium. Elected to parliament in 2019, she has campaigned for Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to be added to the European Union's list of designated terrorist organizations.
The United States gave it the designation in 2019.
Safai has also been a prominent campaigner for the rights of women to enter sports stadiums in Iran, which are restricted.
She told RFE/RL that her activism had clearly put her in the regime's sights.
"This is actually an attack on the entire democratic system of all Western countries because I was elected through the people's will to do the things I am doing there," she added.
