On November 9, far-right Spanish Politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras was shot in the head in Spain during the day by a motorcycle passenger. He remains hospitalized with a double jaw fracture but is predicted to make a full recovery. Vidal-Quadras was going for a walk in a neighborhood in Salamanca, Madrid, when the assassination attempt occurred.
Vidal-Quadras has been active in Europe’s Parliament since the early 2000s, with his most prominent position being its vice-president from 2009-2014, as well as becoming a founding member of a new political party in the European election, Vox.
Over the course of his career, Vidal-Quadras has spoken out against the Iranian Government and its practices. Starting in 2014, he took over the International Committee in Search of Justice, a lobbying organization supporting the NCRI against the Iranian Government. In addition, Vidal Quadras has been a supporter of the Iran Opposition movement and human rights movement in Iran for a number of years.
Vidal-Quadras recently accused the Iranian Government of spearheading the assassination attempt, to which the Iranian Embassy in Spain denied any terrorist operation. However, they declined to release any statement on the politician’s claim or his condition. Vidal-Quadras has renounced any desire to negotiate or work towards peace with Iran, and is now promoting a forceful retaliation.
The Spanish police have arrested three suspects in Andalusia: two Spanish men and one British woman. They will appear in court on an undecided date.
The situation is a serious one, and is cause for concern among more than just Spanish citizens. Hingham High School senior Lina Matera expressed her distaste of the situation, saying “I don’t like the rising tension right now, the last thing we need is another global conflict.” Senior Sophie Hallal echoed this sentiment, saying “I think that an overly violent retaliation won’t end up helping.”
The Spanish Government is still working with the police to discover more substantial details on the four suspects, as well as the situation with the Iranian embassy. Vidal-Quadras will continue to be treated for the time being, and will no doubt work tirelessly to get retribution for this attack.
