Iran’s rights chief: All terror grouplets enjoy safe haven in Sweden

Kazem Gharibabadi, secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights and the Judiciary chief’s deputy for international affairs, dismissed the condemnation of Tehran by Sweden and other Western countries over the execution of the ringleader of the notorious Harakat al-Nidal terrorist group, Habib Farajollah Cha’ab.

Cha’ab, an Iranian-Swedish national, had been found guilty of spreading “corruption on earth,” a capital offense under Iranian law, through forming and leading a criminal group for the purpose of carrying out terrorist attacks in Iran’s Khuzestan Province, which the outfit seeks to separate from Iran.

In one case, he was the mastermind of a terror attack on a military parade in the city of Ahvaz in 2018, which killed dozens of people, including civilians.

Sweden summoned Iran’s envoy over the execution.

Gharibabadi denounced Sweden for providing “all types of intelligence and security support” to Cha’ab.

Although Iran had received an Interpol red notice for Cha’ab and he was identified and arrested in one of the Eastern European countries, Sweden immediately intervened and took him back to the country on a special plane, he explained.

“We did not see even a single statement from the Western countries and Sweden condemning the terrorist acts of this person,” he said.

“The fact that they condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran after the execution of the verdict is of no value to us.”