Iran Issues ‘Strong Protest’ to Three European Countries Over Arrest of Iranian Diplomat
Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced the summoning of ambassadors from Germany, Belgium, and France in protest of the MEK conference and the arrest of an Iranian diplomat. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Germany and France will extradite an Iranian diplomat and another Iranian arrested on charges of attempting to bomb a MEK conference to Belgium.
Bahram Qassemi, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, announced on Wednesday, July 3rd, that the ambassadors of France and Belgium and Germany’s chargé d’affaires (in the absence of the ambassador) have been summoned to the Foreign Ministry in protest of the arrest of an Iranian diplomat and the MEK organization conference.
According to him, Abbas Araghchi, deputy foreign minister, conveyed Iran’s strong protest to Germany’s chargé d’affaires and France’s ambassador.
Araghchi described the case as a “scenario” to damage Iran-Europe relations and said it reminds one of the self-immolation of MEK members at the time of the arrest of Maryam Rajavi, the organization’s leader, in Paris.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman added that the director general of Europe at the ministry also conveyed Tehran’s protest regarding the request to transfer the Iranian diplomat from Germany to Belgium’s ambassador.
Asadollah Assadi, a diplomat, was arrested on Sunday near the city of Aschaffenburg in Bavaria, Germany. His arrest came after the detention of an Iranian couple in whose vehicle 500 grams of explosive material was found, and investigations into this couple are underway in Belgium.
Belgium has requested the extradition of this diplomat from Germany. Another Iranian was also arrested in France on charges of connection to this action in France.
Meanwhile, Reuters news agency reported, citing unnamed French and German judicial sources, that the Iranian arrested in France and the Iranian diplomat detained in Germany will be extradited to Belgium.
A European intelligence official also told Reuters: “This matter is extremely sensitive and the Belgians are moving the case forward.”
Reuters adds that French officials have refrained from commenting on the case because, according to them, the nature of this incident is unclear.
French officials have also not yet responded to Reuters’ request regarding the summoning of their ambassador.
On Wednesday, Austria’s Chancellor also asked Iran’s president to cooperate with the Austrian government for “complete transparency” regarding accusations of Iranian diplomat involvement in the case of the attempted bombing at the MEK organization conference. Austria has revoked the diplomatic immunity of Asadollah Assadi.
Source: Radio Farda
