Tehran refuses to let two French diplomats return

Iran said on August 17 that two French embassy employees involved in a diplomatic dispute last month would not be allowed to return to the country, Reuters reports.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, the two employees had violated the Vienna Convention, which sets out the rules and privileges governing diplomatic missions, by engaging in activities aimed at supporting Iranian civil society.

“Insisting that these individuals were engaged in activities related to supporting civil society is itself an admission that the Vienna Convention was violated,” Baghaei told a weekly press conference, without providing further details.

Ранее Министерство разведки Ирана обвинило сотрудников французского посольства в тайных контактах с гражданами страны и попытках создать сеть связей внутри и за пределами Ирана. Париж отверг эти обвинения.

Earlier, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry accused the French embassy employees of maintaining secret contacts with Iranian citizens and attempting to establish a network of contacts both inside and outside the country. Paris rejected the allegations.

The French side also said that one of the diplomats had been subjected to physical abuse during his detention. Tehran has denied the claim.

By Jeyhun Aghazada