Iran summons Italy's envoy to send Tehran's protest at Ottawa's disrespect for human rights

Tehran, Nov 17, IRNA – Iranian foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned the Italian ambassador to Tehran whose country represents Canada’s interests in Iran to protest at Ottawa’s violation of the rights of the Iranian nationals residing in Canada. The Iranian foreign ministry’s director-general for America's affairs during the meeting strongly criticized the deprivation of over 400,000 Iranians residing in Canada from receiving consular services over the past few years after the severance of relations between the two countries and the necessity to guarantee their citizenship rights and access to consular facilities. The diplomat said that the Canadian government's continued ignorance of the demands to set up a consular office or interests section office is unacceptable and against the country’s claims about advocating human rights. He, meantime, slammed the Canadian government for lack of cooperation in the case of the former Iranian Bank Melli Chief, Mahmoud Reza Khavari, who fled from Iran to Canada during an embezzlement scandal. The diplomat pointed out that Khavari is on the list of Interpol's red notice and the Canadian government is required to cooperate with Interpol to investigate his case and extradite him to Iran. Khavari left Iran in September 2011 as prosecutors in Tehran announced they wanted to question him in connection with a $2.6-billion embezzlement scandal.