Posted on 08/22/2003 10:06:24 AM PDT by knighthawk
Iran on Friday condemned the recent move by the British police to detain Iran's former ambassador to Argentina, Hadi Soleimanpour, stressing that the measure had been politically motivated.
"The measure had been politically motivated and has been carried out under the influence of the Zionists. It is meant to serve the interests of the Zionist regime," said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi, according to IRIB.
Jewish sources based in Buenos Aires have claimed that Soleimanpour was arrested in a London suburb on Thursday.
Marta Nercellas, the lawyer representing the Amia Jewish Community Center, has claimed that Soleimanpour was among those wanted for the 1994 bombing of the center which left 85 killed and 300 wounded.
Judge Juan Jose Galeano, who is presiding over the case of the bombing, last week issued arrest warrants for eight Iranians for their alleged involvement in the incident.
Asefi said the warrants had been political and lacked judicial grounds.
"We realized this from the very moment that they showed they were not interested in cooperating with Iran to clarify the issue," he said.
"The Islamic Republic will do all it can to retrieve the rights of any of its nationals that are arrested on an unjustifiable basis, and will try to release them."
The foreign ministry spokesman further stressed that Tehran will carry out the required steps in that connection through diplomatic channels to guarantee his rights and freedom.
"We will take necessary measures through any means deemed necessary and in this connection we will hold talks with the British officials, asking them to provide necessary explanations," said Asefi.
He strongly dismissed any sort of Iran's involvement in Amia blast, saying that Argentine should assume responsibility for the judicial and political consequences of such a measure, which runs counter against international regulations.
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