Australia said on Tuesday February 14 that it had put an end to an Iranian spy operation conducted on its soil during demonstrations held in solidarity with the protest movement triggered by the death in September of Mahsa Amini.
An Iranian-Australian activist who took part in the protests was targeted by Tehran, Home Secretary Clare O'Neil said.
“
It is perfectly legal for anyone in Australia to criticize a foreign regime, as tens of thousands across the country have done in response to events in Iran,
” she said in a speech to the Australian National University.
Intolerable attempt at censorship
"
What we absolutely will not tolerate, under any circumstances, are attempts by foreign regimes to disrupt peaceful protests, encourage violence or silence opinions,
" she said.
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died after her arrest by the morality police who accused her of having broken the strict dress code imposing in particular on women the wearing of the veil in public.
Since then, Iran has been the scene of a protest movement whose slogan “
Woman, life, freedom
” has gone around the world.
Read alsoIn Iran, the daily lie of Mahsa, 28, ex-prison worker turned activist
Tehran was caught spying on the family of the Iranian-Australian protester, Clare O'Neil said, without giving further details.
"
We are not going to sit idly by and let Australians, or even visitors to our country, be surveilled and tracked by foreign governments on our soil
."
These statements are all the more notable given that the Australian government is generally reluctant to accuse countries of attempted espionage.
Accusations of interference multiply
The Supreme Leader of the Iranian Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused in October the United States, Israel and their “
agents
” of fomenting the protest movement.
Iranian authorities say hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed amid the protests, which have diminished in scale in recent weeks.
Thousands of Iranians, including artistic personalities, lawyers and journalists, have been arrested.
