Attacker on the Iranian embassy in Denmark charged
TEHRAN- A Danish prosecutor has finally filed an accusation against the knife-wielding attacker who broke into the Copenhagen premises of the Iranian embassy with the purpose to murder the ambassador last October.
According to a statement made public by the prosecutor’s office on Friday, the 33-year-old attacker has been charged with aggravated assault against Iran’s Ambassador Afsaneh Nadipour as well as causing property damage to the embassy building and vehicles.
The statement also stated that the charges have been accepted by Denmark’s justice minister.
On October 7, 2022, the attacker broke into the embassy’s grounds and charged the female Iranian ambassador with a knife, wounding a local employee of the diplomatic post who attempted to stop him.
The attempted assault on Mrs. Nadipour was thwarted by an embassy employee and the suspect was then arrested by the Copenhagen police and has since remained in custody, according to the prosecutor’s statement.
A very dangerous and utterly unacceptable situation, based on the statement, would be for a foreign diplomat stationed in Denmark to be unable to fulfill official responsibilities without fear of physical attack.
The diplomat would then be required by law to be under police protection.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian called the Iranian embassy in Copenhagen after the incident in October and expressed deep regret that a woman and an ambassador with diplomatic immunity would face such an assault in the heart of Europe without prompt police intervention.
The Iranian foreign ministry then summoned Denmark’s ambassador to Iran and delivered a formal protest for failing to uphold the Vienna Convention by providing protection for Tehran’s embassy and diplomats.
The envoy apologized on behalf of his nation and pledged to improve security at the Iranian embassy.
According to the Danish police, the nation’s security and intelligence services will work with them to investigate the incident.