The Iranian regime sends researchers to European universities to obtain knowledge about Western technologies.Image: keystone
An expert on Iran describes a system of mutual favors – with potentially dangerous consequences.
April 2, 2026, 4:18 p.mApril 2, 2026, 4:18 p.m
Benjamin Rosch / ch media
The case caused an international stir. Mohammad Abedini, was an Iranian scientist working at the Lausanne University of Technology (EPFL). And was suddenly suspected of smuggling for the Iranian regime.
According to an indictment in federal court in the US state of Massachusetts, Abedini is said to have procured US technology for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s killer drones. Authorities charged him with conspiracy to evade sanctions and conspiracy to support an international terrorist organization, resulting in death.
There was no conviction. About a year ago, Abedini, who was arrested in Milan, was probably part of a diplomatic swap deal between Italy and Iran, in the course of which an Italian journalist was released.
Spotlight on Swiss universities
The state affair also dragged Switzerland into twilight. How well does this country protect its educational institutions from sensitive research ending up in the hands of autocrats?
Since the outbreak of the Iran War, this question has become more important than ever. In research published on Tuesday, the “NZZ” showed that Abedini is not an isolated case.
The starting point of the article is an incident in Lausanne: After a memorial service for the killed Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, a confrontation between regime opponents and supporters broke out, which was filmed and distributed on social networks. The identified participants belong to an informal network with connections to the Iranian power apparatus.
At the center are three people: a Swiss-trained microtechnology researcher; a suspected former member of the Basij militia (a branch of the Revolutionary Guard); and the daughter of Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani. They all lived or worked in Lausanne, some at the same address, and have connections to institutions such as the Revolutionary Guard.
Despite their proximity to the Iranian regime, there is no evidence of illegal activity. However, a pattern emerges: members of the Iranian elite continue to study at Swiss universities such as EPFL. Talking about this with Iranians is not easy: there is great concern about the power of the mullahs.
Some Iranian exiles study at Swiss universities.Image: KEYSTONE
A pattern that Ana Nazari knows from her own observation. Nazari, whose actual name is different, once fled Iran with her family and studied here. She says: “I have waited a long time for these machinations to come to light. It didn’t surprise me at all.”
“Well-born” and specifically promoted regime loyalty
The Iranian diaspora in Switzerland comprises around 10,000 people. You know each other. And is politically divided. “Even when I went to university, there were women who wore a headscarf in the cafeteria when they were with fellow students who were loyal to the regime.” “Aghazadeh,” they whispered to each other, says Nazari. This is Persian and means “well-born,” a euphemism for the descendants of influential Iranian families. There is a special concentration of these, especially in the technical courses: “There is a nest at EPFL and also at ETH,” says Nazari. That is no coincidence.
“The regime also often recruits men from the lower or middle class to serve in the Revolutionary Guard.” Anyone who excels can study at Sharif University, Iran’s most renowned technical university. From there, the transition to a European university can take place, “often with financial support from the Revolutionary Guards.”
For young men, this is the opportunity for social advancement. “But anyone who grows up in such structures later commits themselves to bringing the knowledge they have acquired back home,” says Nazari. In this way, the internationally sanctioned country obtains knowledge about Western technologies.
Exiled Iranians organize themselves into student groups at both ETH and EPFL. Abedini is also said to have been an active member, sources tell this newspaper. They meet for readings, take trips to the mountains – and celebrate – very American – even Halloween. There is nothing to suggest that the regime is at work in the background. On the contrary: When ETH engaged the Iranian bioethics professor Kiarash Aramesh as a research guest for a few months last year, the Iranian ETH students spontaneously organized a reading circle, as Telegram chats show. Aramesh drew attention to himself several times with comments that were very critical of the regime.
The ETH Rector’s cry for help
“You shouldn’t lump everyone together,” says Ana Nazari. That’s precisely why she thinks it’s important for universities to take a closer look.
Danger of knowledge espionage: Research at Swiss universities.Image: KEYSTONE
She’s hitting open doors for ETH Rector Günther Dissertori. After the Abedini scandal, the particle physicist wrote a paper last fall on the danger of knowledge espionage in Switzerland. The cosmopolitan research location has “significant weaknesses that must be systematically addressed,” wrote Dissertori. Many Swiss institutions lack specific expertise “in the areas of knowledge security assessment and risk management”.
Dissertori advocates a Dutch model: There, a central office connects the university with the intelligence authorities and carries out risk assessments. Ideally, Dissertori was optimistic, a working group could create the first structures for this as early as 2026. (aargauerzeitung.ch/nil)