The Sunflower case

The "Sunflowers Case" in Spain refers to the high-profile assassination attempt on Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a prominent Spanish political leader, former vice president of the European Parliament and founder of Spain's far-right Vox party, which took place in Madrid on November 9, 2023

The Assassination Attempt

As Vidal-Quadras was walking home at Calle Nuñez de Balboa, Madrid from Retiro Park, a man approached him from behind, greeted him with "Hola señor," and shot him with a 9mm Parabellum pistol in broad daylight. The bullet entered through his jaw, causing severe injuries but sparing his life. Passers-by provided immediate assistance, and he underwent facial reconstruction surgery during a 16-day hospital stay.^[1][2][3][4]

The attacker fled the scene on a black Yamaha scooter, which was later found burned in an industrial area outside Madrid. Investigators traced the scooter to Mehrez Ayari, a Tunisian-born petty criminal with a history of offenses in France. Ayari was already wanted for a 2022 murder in Val-d'Oise, France. He was arrested in the Netherlands in June 2024 while allegedly preparing for another politically motivated killing.^[1]

Name origin

The origin of name "The Sunflower Case" comes from a murder that occurred in August 2022 in France, where the victim's body was discovered lying in the middle of a field of sunflowers near a cemetery in Neuville-sur-Oise. This striking and memorable scene-an abandoned body surrounded by sunflowers-gave the investigation its name. The conection between the two cases is the prime suspect, Mehrez Ayari. Thus, the name "Sunflower Case" connects the initial French homicide and the subsequent high-profile attack in Spain, as both crimes are linked by the same criminal figure and the evocative imagery of the sunflower field where the first crime scene was found.^[2]

Iranian involvement

Vidal-Quadras has been a vocal critic of the Iranian regime and a supporter of the NCRI. He believes the Iranian government targeted him due to his political stance. Spanish and Dutch authorities have investigated potential links between the Iranian regime and the assassination attempt. Reports suggest that Iran has previously employed criminal networks in Europe, such as the Moroccan mafia, to carry out extraterritorial operations against dissidents.^[5][1] The Dutch intelligence agency AIVD has also accused Iran of planning assassination attempts on dissidents residing in the Netherlands, highlighting a pattern of using criminal proxies for such operations.^[6]

In May 2025, British counterterrorism officials arrested five Iranian citizens who were suspected of planning an attack on the Israeli embassy in London. Evidence suggests that Unit 840, a secret branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was behind the plan. This unit is known for carrying out hidden missions in other countries and is believed to have been preparing a bombing or assassination aimed at embassy staff. The arrests took place in several cities across the UK and are considered one of the most important counterterrorism actions in recent years. Although Iran has denied any involvement, the case has raised more concern about Iran’s activities abroad and has increased pressure in the UK to label the IRGC a terrorist group.^[7][8]

Allegations against Iran

Vidal-Quadras immediately accused the Iranian regime of orchestrating the attack, citing his long-standing support for the Iranian opposition, particularly the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), and his vocal criticism of Tehran’s human rights abuses.^[2][3][4] He stated under oath before Spain’s National Court that his name appeared on Iran’s list of enemies and that he had been sanctioned by Tehran in 2022 for his activism.^[3][4]

Spanish response

Spanish and international media, as well as MEK representatives, have echoed suspicions of Iranian involvement, viewing the attempt as potentially unprecedented Iranian state-sponsored violence on Spanish soil. The Iranian Embassy in Spain publicly condemned terrorism but did not directly address the accusations.^[4]

Ongoing investigation

While Ayari remains in custody, the investigation continues to explore the extent of the network involved and the possible connections to the Iranian regime. Vidal-Quadras has reiterated his accusations against Iran and continues to receive security protection due to ongoing threats.^[9][1]

See also

• Unit 840
• Iran-United Kingdom relations
• Ministry of Intelligence (Iran)
• Iranian external operations