Sweden accused the Iranian government of using a Shia mosque in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, to serve as a platform for espionage against the Nordic country and the Iranian diaspora living there.
An Iranian cleric serving as the imam of an Islamic Center in Stockholm’s suburbs, has been arrested for nearly two weeks and is set to be deported from Sweden, the Expressen daily reported on Friday.https://t.co/ZA6kb2rsh8
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) February 1, 2025
Sweden's Minister for Social Affairs, Jakob Forssmed, posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the Swedish Security Service (Sapo) assessed that the Islamic Republic is using the Imam Ali Islamic Center for intelligence activities that could threaten Sweden’s national security interests.
“This is extremely serious,” Forssmed said, pointing out that the Swedish government halted all state funding to the Islamic center.
“State funds should not be used for activities that conflict with fundamental democratic values,” the minister also declared, adding that “an additional process” is underway without elaborating on it further.
The accusation came after Swedish authorities arrested an Iranian cleric living in Sweden who is the head of the said mosque, with the possibility of him being deported.
Bon voyage!
— jburd (@burdmanorama) February 1, 2025
Plainclothes officers arrested 63-year-old Mohsen Hakimollahi at his home at midnight, and he was taken away, a close associate of the imam told the Swedish newspaper Expressen.
“He has been missing for more than ten days, and we learned through various channels that he is in one of the Swedish Migration Board's detention centers and will soon be deported from the country,” the source told the newspaper.
The Imam Ali Islamic Center (IAC), considered to be the largest Shia organization in Northern Europe, vehemently denied the accusations. Its website states that it is an independent organization with no political or state affiliations.
“IAC maintains strict oversight to ensure that our premises are not used as a platform for any criminal activity,” the Islamic Center’s website said, refuting claims of receiving foreign state funding.
Just an excuse by ZOG Swedish government to shut down the mosque. Shameful.
— Arya (@Catharsis126) February 3, 2025
The organization also penned an open letter to Forssmed regarding Hakimollahi’s arrest, saying that the “decision appears to have been made despite the Security Service confirming that Hakimollahi is neither suspected of any crimes nor the subject of any criminal investigation.”
The center also called on the Swedish government to ensure that Hakimollahi’s case is reviewed and handled with full legal certainty.
Hakimollahi was transferred from Iran to Sweden to manage the IAC and resided there for several years, developing connections with local politicians and religious organizations.
Shut it down
— (@YavuzSelim23_1) February 3, 2025
He was initially granted a temporary work permit in 2011, renewed thrice before he acquired permanent residency in 2017. Since his arrest, this status has now been taken away from him.
"I can confirm that we are not conducting any preliminary criminal investigation connected to this individual," Gabriel Wernstedt, spokesperson for Sapo, said, further explaining that Swedish authorities can apply special laws to counter security threats in the country, which allows them to detain non-citizens until their deportation based on various intelligence assessments.
