Iranian Consulate in Arbil

Iran expresses hope for speedy release of remaining 3 diplomats

Tehran, 2007 Nov 9, IRNA

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister in Consular and Parliamentary Affairs expressing delight over freedom of nine kidnapped Iranians including two diplomats by occupier US forces in Arbil, expressed hope remaining three diplomats, too, would be freed soon.

Seyyed Mohammad Ali Shahidi who was speaking to IRNA on Friday evening at Imam Khomeini International Airport on the sidelines of reception ceremony held to the honor of the freed Iranian diplomats and pilgrims, appreciating the Iraqi Government's efforts aimed at their freedom, asked the Iraqi brethren to continue such efforts for the release of the remaining Iranian inmates from the illegal US prisons in Iraq.

Shahidi emphasized, "Now that the US administration has made sure that these people are diplomats, they should be released from illegal detention as soon as possible."

Iranian Consulate staffers, Mohsen Chegini and Hamid Asgari and seven pilgrims were freed from occupier US forces' prisons on Friday morning and returned home on Friday evening.

US forces in Iraq have repeatedly abducted Iranian nationals, accusing them of supporting insurgency in the country. Washington, however, has so far failed to provide any concrete evidence to prove its allegations against Iran.

Tehran has dismissed the US allegations as baseless, insisting stability in Iraq is to the best interest of the Islamic Republic.

Iraqi senior officials including President Jalal Talabani and Premier Nouri al-Maliki have slammed the abductions, urging the US to release the Iranian detainees.

On January 11, 2007, US troops broke into Iran's consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil and kidnapped five Iranian diplomats.