Farshid Mahmoudi

On October 7, 2022—coinciding with nationwide protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini—Farshid Mahmoudi entered the grounds of the Iranian embassy in Copenhagen armed with a knife and moved toward the then-ambassador, Afsaneh Nadipour. A local embassy staff member stopped him, and Danish police immediately arrested him. No one was seriously injured in the incident, though a local embassy employee sustained minor injuries, and several embassy vehicles were damaged. The Iranian government described the act as a "terrorist attack" and accused the Danish police of a delayed response. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Danish ambassador in Tehran. Mahmoudi described this act as a symbolic, individual protest against the repression of the Iranian people. In June 2023, Danish prosecutors charged him with attempted assault. In February 2024, the Eastern High Court of Denmark (*Østre Landsret*) ordered him to undergo psychiatric treatment rather than imposing a criminal sentence, and issued a deportation order accompanied by a six-year entry ban.

Farshid Mahmoudi criticizes the Islamic Republic of Iran on his blog and social media platforms under the pseudonym "Kelo Velo." Following the embassy incident, he gained greater recognition among members of the Iranian diaspora opposition. The event impacted diplomatic relations between Iran and Denmark and sparked debates regarding embassy security in Europe.

This incident was one of several events linked to protests by the Iranian diaspora in 2022. Iran characterized the act as part of opposition activities and called for enhanced security measures.