As I reported last Monday, a Tunisian culture-enricher named Mehrez Ayari attempted to assassinate the Vox politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras in Madrid, and was subsequently arrested in the Netherlands. Now it appears that Mr. Ayari was in the process of planning the assassination of a dissident Iranian journalist in the Netherlands.

Below are Spanish and Dutch articles about the case. Many thanks to Gary Fouse for the translations.

The Spanish-language article is from Onda Cero Radio:

Arrested person in Vidal-Quadras attack accused of intending to kill Iranian reporter

The Dutch prosecutor’s office has announced that Mehrez Ayari is suspected of “preparing to assassinate an Iranian activist and journalist who resides in the Netherlands”.

EFE Madrid
June 26, 2024

The Tunisian Mehrez Ayari, detained in the Dutch city of Haarlem at the beginning of the month as the alleged perpetrator of the attack against the ex-politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras, is also suspected of “preparing the assassination of an Iranian activist and journalist who resides in the Netherlands,” as announced Wednesday by the Dutch prosecutor’s office.

The 38-year-old Tunisian, who has been identified as Mehrez Ayari, was arrested in Haarlem at the beginning of this month by Dutch police, together with another accused person, a 27-year-old Colombian.

“Officers of the North Holland Unit received an alert of a suspicious situation on June 6, 2024 and immediately responded. Arriving at the scene, they saw two men running. The officers pursued them on foot and were able to arrest both. They were found to be in possession of firearms,” the Dutch prosecutor’s office stated, and also stated that the investigation is continuing.

Both detainees remain totally isolated and are only in contact with their respective lawyers.

Was detained as he was about to commit a similar attack to that on Vidal-Quadras

Last week, sources close to the investigation told EFE that the participation of the Mocro Maffia [Moroccan mafia] in the attempt to assassinate the former politician confirms the suspicions of the Iranian connection, since it is not the first time that the Iranian regime has “hired” hit men from that criminal network principally made up of criminal of Maghrebian origin.

According to information shared by Spanish police, Ayari was detained in Haarlem, on the street, as he was about to commit another attack similar to that on Vidal-Quadras, former director of the Popular Party and co-founder of Vox party, though it is not known if that victim is the same Iranian journalist and activist or if it is a different person.

The National Court took over the investigation of the attack against Vidal-Quadras due to the suspicion of connections to Iran, which also led to the issuance of up to three arrest warrants against three of the six detainees.

They are Ayari himself and two other previously-detained persons, a woman also arrested in the Netherlands and a Venezuelan detained in Colombia and implicated in the purchase of a motorcycle used in the attack.

The Dutch-language article is from the state broadcaster NOS:

Suspect in attack on Spanish politician also suspect in Dutch case

A man who is suspected of an attempted assassination of a Spanish politician is also a suspect in the preparation of an assassination of an Iranian activist and journalist who is residing in the Netherlands. That is what is reported by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The suspect, a 38-year-old man with Tunisian nationality, is in custody on suspicion of an attempted assassination of Alejo Vidal-Quadras in November of last year. This Spaniard from the right-populist Vox party was shot in the face and suffered a broken jaw.

For this, the Tunisian was sought internally and was arrested June 6 in Haarlem when police came upon a suspicious situation. After a chase, he was arrested along with a Colombian. They were in possession of firearms. The Colombian man (27) is seen as a co-suspect in the case of the Iranian.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office reports that the suspects are still in restrictive custody, which means that they can only have contact with their lawyer. The Public Prosecutor’s Office cannot say which Iranian activist and journalist is involved. Incidentally, it did not eventuate in an attack.

In the Vidal-Quadras case, in the beginning of May, a Dutch woman was arrested. Among other things, she is suspected of financing and preparation for the assassination attempt.

See also this English-language report from the NL Times (hat tip Reader From Chicago).