ID :
190272
Wed, 06/22/2011 - 07:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/190272
The shortlink copeid
Envoy Urges UN Probe into Fate of Kidnapped Iranian Diplomats in Lebanon
TEHRAN (FNA)- Tehran's Ambassador to Beirut Qazanfar Roknabadi called on Ban Ki-moon to respond to Iran's demand for a UN probe into the fate of the four Iranian diplomats abducted in Lebanon in 1982.
The issue was raised during a meeting with the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams in Beirut on the occasion of the anniversary of the abduction of Iranian diplomats in Lebanon.
He criticized the UN and other human rights bodies for their inaction in this regard, and said the fate of the abducted diplomats is a "national and humanitarian case" for the Iranian nation and government and Tehran "will spare no effort" to pursue the fate of its kidnapped diplomats.
Roknabadi pointed to the several letters and demands sent by the families of the abducted diplomats as well as the Iranian government to the UN and Iran's repeated calls for the formation of a committee to probe into the fate of the four diplomats, and asked for the UN chief's direct response to Iran's request.
In March, Iran's Envoy to the UN Human Rights Council Seyed Mohammad Reza Sajjadi requested the Council to launch a probe into the fate of the abducted diplomats.
The envoy urged the UN workgroup on forced disappearances to put the case of the four diplomats on its agenda.
The then charge d'affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, military attaché Ahmad Motevaselian, embassy technician Taghi Rastegar Moghadam and journalist of the Islamic republic news agency Kazzem Akhavan were kidnapped by the Lebanese mercenary army - also known as the Falangists - at gunpoint in Northern Lebanon in 1982 and were later handed over to Israeli army.
Israel has released contradictory reports on the issue. The Zionist regime alleged in a statement last year that the diplomats had never been surrendered to Israel. Elsewhere it claimed in response to a request put forward by the Lebanese Hezbollah group that the four are already dead.
Earlier in January 2009, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that Iran had received a report from the Zionist regime which said the kidnapped Iranian diplomats had not been transferred to Tel Aviv and laid the blame on the Lebanese mercenary army affiliated with Israel.
In reaction to the report, the spokesman said at the time that the report "will not relieve the Zionist regime of its responsibility" for the healthiness and safe repatriation of the diplomats.
The issue was raised during a meeting with the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams in Beirut on the occasion of the anniversary of the abduction of Iranian diplomats in Lebanon.
He criticized the UN and other human rights bodies for their inaction in this regard, and said the fate of the abducted diplomats is a "national and humanitarian case" for the Iranian nation and government and Tehran "will spare no effort" to pursue the fate of its kidnapped diplomats.
Roknabadi pointed to the several letters and demands sent by the families of the abducted diplomats as well as the Iranian government to the UN and Iran's repeated calls for the formation of a committee to probe into the fate of the four diplomats, and asked for the UN chief's direct response to Iran's request.
In March, Iran's Envoy to the UN Human Rights Council Seyed Mohammad Reza Sajjadi requested the Council to launch a probe into the fate of the abducted diplomats.
The envoy urged the UN workgroup on forced disappearances to put the case of the four diplomats on its agenda.
The then charge d'affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, military attaché Ahmad Motevaselian, embassy technician Taghi Rastegar Moghadam and journalist of the Islamic republic news agency Kazzem Akhavan were kidnapped by the Lebanese mercenary army - also known as the Falangists - at gunpoint in Northern Lebanon in 1982 and were later handed over to Israeli army.
Israel has released contradictory reports on the issue. The Zionist regime alleged in a statement last year that the diplomats had never been surrendered to Israel. Elsewhere it claimed in response to a request put forward by the Lebanese Hezbollah group that the four are already dead.
Earlier in January 2009, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that Iran had received a report from the Zionist regime which said the kidnapped Iranian diplomats had not been transferred to Tel Aviv and laid the blame on the Lebanese mercenary army affiliated with Israel.
In reaction to the report, the spokesman said at the time that the report "will not relieve the Zionist regime of its responsibility" for the healthiness and safe repatriation of the diplomats.
