Iranian activist tells Dutch court of loneliness after attempted attack

“You have sent me into loneliness,” Siamak Tahmasbi told the defendants at the high-security court at Schiphol on Thursday, according to Dutch news agency ANP. He attended the hearing with personal protection.

Addressing the defendants, Tahmasbi compared his circumstances with theirs. “The prison in which I live is much harsher than yours,” he said, adding that they could form friendships and take part in activities that were impossible for him. His remarks were reported in Dutch and have been translated here.

In an interview with Dutch current affairs programme Nieuwsuur on 6 November, Tahmasbi called his life since the attack “unofficial confinement”. He said he could go outside, but had to ask himself whether he would return safely.

Two armed men approached his home in Haarlem on the night of 5–6 June 2024. Tahmasbi pressed an emergency button, after which police arrested two men, ANP reported.

The trial of five men and a woman began on 6 November. They are suspected of involvement in the attempted murder and its preparation. In a statement that day, prosecutors said they planned to present their case and requested sentences on 12 November. The court’s judgment was scheduled for 21 December.