Swedish-Iranian criminologist and Iran expert Arvin Khoshnood is living in hiding after a suspected attempted murder. A 16-year-old boy with connections to the Foxtrot network has been charged, but Khoshnood himself is convinced who ordered the murder: – The regime in Iran is behind it.

On the evening of September 2, the doorbell rang at the Khoshnood family home. But something seemed very wrong, and instead of opening the door, Arvin Khoshnood called the police while preparing to defend his family.

– I was preparing for the biggest fight of my life to survive, life and death, to protect my family, to protect my home. There were terrible thoughts. There was a lot of adrenaline in my body.

– The truth is that I was terrified, but at the same time very focused. I was stressed and had feelings that I don’t know how to explain or put into words. I was very afraid for my family. They have been my priority in life, says Arvin Khoshnood in an interview with Riks.

However, by the time the police arrived, the person had disappeared.

A week later, a man in his 30s was shot and injured in Uddevalla. A 16-year-old boy was arrested, and the attempted murder is suspected of having been ordered by one of the Foxtrot network leaders, Ali Shehab. The same 16-year-old is now suspected, along with two 17-year-olds, of the attempted murder of Khoshnood.

– I also managed to connect the suspects to Foxtrot. Foxtrot’s leader, Rava Majid, lives in Iran and is protected by the regime and runs the regime’s terrorist affairs outside Iran, says Khoshnood.

– Foxtrot has previously carried out attacks on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen and Elbit Systems in Gothenburg. That is why I say that it is the Iranian regime that was behind this. To eliminate me completely, to assassinate me or to be able to silence me, which they have not managed.

Arvin Khoshnood has long been an expert in various media outlets and has made himself known as a strong critic of the Iranian regime. It is this criticism that Khoshnood believes is the reason for the assassination attempt, and the Swedish security service had already urged him to be extra vigilant before the assassination attempt in September because of his attitude.

– When I, as a critic, point out in my analyses and in critical research the regime’s crimes, the regime’s intelligence operations, the regime’s influence campaigns and how the regime uses lobbyists and lobbyist organizations, mosques as an important part of its intelligence infrastructure, then I become a threat, a serious threat.

– Because then I spread a narrative that goes against the narrative the regime wants to spread, and I shed light on their intelligence and security organization.

Although the assassination attempt took place six months ago, it is only now, in connection with the start of the trial against the defendants, that Arvin Khoshnood has chosen to talk about the incident. He sees it as his responsibility to continue to contribute critical analyses of the situation in Iran, since the regime’s actions threaten both regime critics in Iran and exiled Iranians in Sweden.

– I have never, not for a single second, considered letting myself be silenced. If I am to be silenced at some point, it is on my terms and my decision. And when it comes to Iran, I will never remain silent until the Islamic regime falls and we see a democratic transitional government take place, says Arvin Khoshnood.

Since the assassination attempt in September, Arvin Khoshnood and his family have lived in hiding at a secret address in Sweden. Although the family has lost all social connections, Khoshnood emphasizes that they also feel a great sense of gratitude for having survived – something far from all regime critics have done.

– Unfortunately, Sweden has found itself in a situation where those who fight for freedom are forced to stay away while those who spread fear are on our streets. Unfortunately, that says a lot about Sweden.