Veteran Spanish politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras, President of ISJ, is recovering in a hospital after being shot in the face in broad daylight on a central Madrid street on Thursday, 9 November 2023. Police were ruling out no hypotheses. A police source with inside information on the investigation told The Associated Press that 78-year-old Vidal-Quadras, while recovering in the hospital, theorized the gunmen could be linked to the regime of Iran.
Vidal-Quadras was among the first politicians to be placed on Iran’s terrorist list due to his support for the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI or MEK), a group whose goal is to overthrow the Tehran regime.
In a sign that police were broadening the investigation to look into the Iranian angle, another official revealed that a provincial brigade that handles terrorism and extremism cases joined the investigation late Thursday.
The investigation had previously been led by agents specialised in homicides. The sources spoke under the condition of anonymity to protect the secrecy of the inquiries, AP reported.
Vidal-Quadras was attacked at around 1:30pm near his home in the Spanish capital and was conscious when taken to a hospital by emergency crews.
There were no immediate arrests and police were checking on surveillance footage and witness accounts to identify the shooter, who had been seen wearing a black helmet. The suspect had fired one gunshot before fleeing on a motorbike driven by an accomplice.
A charred motorbike found later in the day in a suburban town on the outskirts of Madrid was being investigated, one of the officials said.
Doctors at Madrid’s Gregorio Marañón hospital said the gunshot had fractured Vidal Quadras’ jawbone and that he would undergo surgery.
It said the politician was in stable condition and his life was not in danger.
As part of his political career, Vidal-Quadras has been aligned for decades with the Iranian opposition movement, an involvement that was noticed by Tehran.
In January, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced it imposed sanctions on Vidal-Quadras along with others who had ties with the main Iranian opposition group known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK).
In mid-September, addressing a conference organised by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Brussels, Vidal-Quadras criticised EU officials and leaders for not being strong enough in their opposition to Iran’s terrorist regime and in their support for the exiled opposition.
Reactions over the shocking shooting on a street in broad daylight poured in, with many politicians and commentators expressing surprise.
Popular Party President Alberto Núñez Feijóo denounced the shooting and wished for Vidal-Quadras’ recovery. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also expressed his concern. ‘All my warmth at this moment (is) for him and his family,’ Sánchez said.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement Vidal-Quadras was the victim of a “cowardly attack” and wished him a speedy and full recovery, while condemning “an act of unacceptable violence, perpetrated against a political representative of an important European nation.”
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also expressed sympathy for Vidal Quadras and wished him a quick recovery.
“Thank God it seems that Alejandro Vidal-Quadras is out of danger,” Vox President Santiago Abascal said.
The Italian Foreign Minister, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and other MEPs also expressed sympathy with the ISJ President and called for an urgent investigation into the shooting.
Twenty-three MEPs issued a separate statement. “We vehemently condemn this cowardly act of terrorism and urgently call on the Spanish authorities to initiate a thorough investigation. Those identified as responsible for planning and executing this heinous attack must be named and prosecuted without any reservation or political expediency,” wrote the MEPs.
They added: “In light of the Iranian regime’s character, known animosity, and repeated threats against Dr Vidal Quadras, it should be considered one of the prime suspects during the investigation of today’s terrorist assassination attempt on his life.”
The Iranian Resistance sees Iran’s ruling religious fascism as the first suspect accused in this case, as Prof. Vidal-Quadras has dedicated an important part of his life to fight against it, NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Maryam Rajavi released a statement in which she condemned the ‘terrorist crime’.
“I strongly condemn this terrorist crime, wish for the speedy recovery of Prof. Vidal, and express my deep solidarity with his family,” she said on X.
“I call for the prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators of this terrorist crime. The Iranian Resistance sees Iran’s ruling religious fascism as the first suspect accused in this case, as Prof. Vidal Quadras has dedicated an important part of his life to fight against it.”
Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, the President of the International Committee in Search of Justice, was Vice President of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014. He has consistently supported the Iranian people’s resistance for freedom and human rights over the past quarter-century. He played a key and unforgettable role in delisting the PMOI from the EU terrorist list, and in ensuring the protection of the PMOI members in Camp Ashraf (Iraq) and their safe and collective relocation out of Iraq.