Belgian official resigns over invites to Russian, Iranian officials
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Delegates from Russia and Iran were invited by a Belgian government official to attend an urban growth summit, prompting backlash against him.
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Brussels Regional Affairs Minister Pascal Smet. (AFP)
Pascal Smet, a member of the Flemish socialist party Vooruit, and a minister in the Brussels regional government, has resigned after causing political a uproar for inviting Alireza Zakani and 14 Iranian officials, as well as delegates from Russia. to the Brussels Urban Summit that took place from June 12-15.
Smet, the regional foreign affairs minister for Brussels stated his decision to resign in a Sunday news conference, and also expressed it was a "mistake" for Brussels to fund the paid trips.
“With Belgian money, we’re paying for hotel nights for the Iranian mayor and a Russian representative – this is unacceptable,” Smet stated.
The minister blamed the incident on an "employee [who] made the wrong call," and claimed he had requested the event's organisers to "bear these costs."
Smet told the Brussels parliament last week that he had no interaction with Iranians at the meeting and that he would have revoked the invitation if Belgian MPs had objected. However, he was chastised by members of his own party as well as opposition legislators, apparently for failing to demand an answer from Tehran officials for alleged 'abuses' by Iran.
Hadja Lahbib, the Belgian foreign Affairs Minister is also under fire for issuing visas to Iranian and Russian guests. The story broke shortly after Belgian NGO worker Olivier Vandecasteele was freed from an Iranian jail following a prisoner exchange arrangement which also saw Iranian national Asadollah Assadi return to Iran.
Assadi was arrested in 2018 and was accused by German and Belgian authorities of being involved in a bombing attempt on the MEK in France, which he completely denied. The diplomat was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Read more: Iranian diplomat denied basic rights in EU prisons
