Five teenagers will appear before a Swedish court on Wednesday over an alleged plot to kill Iranian dissident and researcher Arvin Khoshnood, in a case that has raised broader concerns about the use of criminal networks to target opposition figures.
Security concerns and wider context
Sweden’s security service, Sapo, has in recent years warned that Iran poses a significant threat to national security, accusing it of using local criminal groups to carry out attacks against Israeli interests and Iranian dissidents. Tehran denies the claims.
Khoshnood, who is based in Malmö and frequently comments in the media on Iranian affairs, has publicly expressed support for opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States.
He told Swedish outlets he believes the alleged plot against him may be linked to Foxtrot, one of Sweden’s most prominent criminal networks. The group, led by Rawa Majid, has been associated with a wave of shootings, bombings and killings, and is known for recruiting minors through loosely organised online networks.
Alleged plot and recruitment
According to prosecutors, the planned attack dates back to 2 September, when one of the accused, then 16, went to Khoshnood’s home armed with a knife.
The suspect rang the doorbell and spoke to Khoshnood’s wife, asking if he was present. Khoshnood, who was inside the house, did not reveal himself and instead contacted the police.
Investigators say the teenager had been recruited through encrypted messaging applications and was promised payment to carry out the killing.
They allege that other suspects coordinated the plan, providing instructions, supplying the weapon and agreeing on the terms in advance. A further individual is believed to have played a leading role in organising the plot, though that person has not yet been identified.
Three of the five teenagers face charges of attempted murder, while the remaining two are accused of assisting in the operation.
Parallel investigation
Prosecutor Per-Erik Rinsell described the case as an example of “crime as a service”, in which young people are used to carry out violent acts on behalf of others connected to organised crime.
Some of the accused are also facing charges in connection with a separate attempted murder in Uddevalla a week after the alleged incident in Malmö. Authorities have not confirmed whether that case involved another Iranian dissident.
Source: Euronews