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Swedish police officers outside the Imam Ali Islamic Center in Stockholm after its ties to Iranian intelligence were revealed. (X Screenshot)
(X Screenshot)
Stockholm cracks down on mosque serving as Iranian spy ring
Swedish authorities escalated their investigation last month with a late-night raid on Mohsen Hakimollahi’s Stockholm residence.
Sweden has cracked down on what officials say is an Iranian intelligence operation hiding behind Stockholm’s largest Shiite mosque.
Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed revealed on Monday that the Imam Ali Islamic Center (IAC) has been under investigation for serving as a platform for Iranian intelligence operations targeting both Swedish interests and the Iranian diaspora community.
“This is extremely serious,” Forssmed told Expressen, adding that Sweden had stopped all state monetary aid to the center. He also said that “additional measures” were being pursued but did not provide further information.
Swedish authorities escalated their investigation last month with a late-night raid on Mohsen Hakimollahi’s Stockholm residence.
The 63-year-old Imam, sent by Tehran in 2011 to run the center, had held permanent residency since 2017. He was arrested and issued a deportation order last Thursday.
Predictably, the mosque maintains its innocence.
“IAC maintains strict oversight to ensure that our premises are not used as a platform for any criminal activity,” IAC states on its website.
“The Centre aims, inter alia, to create a more friendly relationship and cooperation with various institutions, including government, to facilitate the integration of Muslims into Swedish society.”
Iran has since summoned Sweden’s ambassador to protest.
“The Swedish ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry yesterday, where we clearly expressed our concerns,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said as cited by state-run IRNA.
“Some decisions appear to be influenced by third parties who do not wish well for Iran-Sweden relations.”
Sweden’s action follows similar measures across Europe, most notably Germany’s closure of the Hamburg Islamic Center in August over extremist activities linked to Iran.
Authorities have not yet announced whether the mosaue will face closure following its terror director’s detention.
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