Iran summons French, Belgium, German envoys over diplomat arrest
By Trend
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said that the Ministry has summoned the French and Belgium ambassadors to Iran as well as German charge d'affaires (in absence of envoy) to protest against the arrest of an Iranian diplomat.
Asadollah Asadi, an Austria-based Iranian diplomat was arrested in Germany at the request of the French police on suspicion of involvement in a foiled attack on an MKO (People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran) gathering in Paris.
According to the official website of Iran’s foreign ministry, Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Political Affairs, in a meeting with French ambassador to Tehran and German charge d'affaires, expressed Iran’s strong protest against the arrest of the diplomat.
Araqchi called for the immediate and unconditional release of Asadi and underlined the immunity of diplomatic missions under Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The top Iranian diplomat also called the issue a “plot” aimed at undermining Iran and Europe’s relations, which coincided with President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Austria and Switzerland, and ahead of a meeting of JCPOA(Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aka nuclear deal) joint commission, scheduled for July 6.
The Belgian ambassador to Tehran was also summoned to the foreign ministry and received Iran’s protest against calls that the diplomat in question be transferred from Germany to Belgium.
Iranian Foreign Ministry has also expressed the Islamic Republic’s protest to French ambassador, Francois Senemaud, against France’s move to let the annual gathering of the MKO group be held in Paris.
---
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz