Online hate campaigns, my name on Iran’s sanctions list, threats against me and my team – I’ve become used to attempts by the Iranian regime to intimidate me. Most recently: a cyber attack by the state-sponsored hacker group Charming Kitten.
Not-so-Charming Kitten
The hackers pretended to be U.S. expert Matthew Levitt, who researches terrorism and extremism at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Using fake emails and even phone calls, they tried to trick my team into installing spyware. The European Parliament’s firewalls held strong – but the attempt alone is a clear warning.
The Iranian regime exports repression
The goal of such attacks is to intimidate and ultimately silence critics of the regime. For years, Iran has been targeting dissidents, exiled Iranians, and political opponents abroad with cyber attacks – including in Germany.
The Iranian regime is exporting its repression right into our societies here in Europe. It wants to spread fear and silence people. Many have no choice, they cannot speak out because it would endanger their families back in Iran. I am in a privileged position – I can speak publicly, and I will continue to do so as Chair of the Delegation for Relations with the People of Iran.
We must fight transnational repression together. In the European Parliament, we are already working on a report addressing this issue.
You can read the full story in these articles in Politico or ZEIT.
