Spain: Police Detain Three in Probe into Murder Attempt on Politician

Facts

• Three people were detained in Spain on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the shooting in Madrid of Alejo Vidal-Quadras, 78, the former head of Spain's conservative People's Party in Catalonia, on November 9.¹
• A British woman and her partner have been arrested in the town of Lanjaron, Grenada. In connection with that arrest, police apprehended another man in the Fuengirola, Malaga.²
• Alejo was on the way to his car when he was shot in the face from just two meters away. Wearing a black helmet, the assailant sped off on a motorcycle with an accomplice. Alejo is still in the hospital, recovering from his wounds.³
• Spanish police are reportedly investigating the possibility that a paid assassin was hired by the British woman's partner, though it isn't yet clear whether she was aware of the potential association. Police are reportedly closing in on a hitman from North Africa allegedly paid to carry out the crime.²
• An anti-terror court is leading the investigation. Vidal-Quadras served as vice president of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014, and is one of the founders of the far-right Vox party in Spain. He has also supported the Paris-based Iranian opposition group Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, also known as Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK).⁴
• A charred motorcycle linked to a French man already wanted for murder led to the identification of the suspects in the attack. CCTV footage from surrounding businesses provided crucial leads, including footage of the suspects performing reconnaissance before the attack and showing a vehicle that is central to the investigation.⁵

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Daily Mail, ³The Sun, ⁴US News & World Report and ⁵Euro Weekly News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Olive Press News Spain. While motives for the shooting are so far unknown, Vidal-Quadras’ divisive nature as a far-right politician must be acknowledged. It is of note that the shooting occurred mere hours after the politician revealed his opposition to a controversial coalition agreement in Spain, sparking a plethora of questions concerning the nature of the attack.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Local Europe. Contrary to beliefs concerning the role of national politics in Vidal-Quadras' shooting, evidence so far points to the politician's outspoken history of opposition against the Iranian government. Vidal-Quadras sits on Iran's watchlist, having formed relationships with a plethora of Iranian dissidents. While it is for the police to come to a conclusion over the incident, such factors are unlikely to be a mere coincidence.