German ambassador summoned over extradition of Iranian diplomat to Belgium

Iran has summoned the German ambassador to protest Berlin’s extradition of an Iranian diplomat to Brussels over his alleged link to a planned July attack against the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) in France.

According to Press TV, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Wednesday that the director general for Europe affairs at the Ministry met Michael Klor-Berchtold to convey the Islamic Republic’s strong opposition to the arrest, detention and extradition of the Iranian diplomat and said the move was part of a manufactured plot by those opposing Iran-Europe relations and was planned by the MKO itself.  

It was stressed during the meeting that “this ploy is in line [with efforts] to damage Iran-Europe ties,” and was a show to compensate for the failures of the terrorist group as well as those of the Israeli regime, Qassemi said.

He added that the treatment of the Iranian diplomat was in contravention of the accepted rules of diplomatic law, and said Tehran demanded the immediate repatriation of the diplomat.

Qassemi said that to “help protect the basic fundamentals of international law and to fight various forms of terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to follow up on the issue through legal and political channels and will implement a proper decision in due time.”

Germany extradited to Belgium an Iranian diplomat suspected of plotting a bomb attack in France, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Back in June, Belgian authorities said that the Iranian diplomat had been arrested along with a 38-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, suspected of plotting a bomb attack on the MKO meeting in Paris attended by US President Donald Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and several former European and Arab ministers.

They added that Belgian police intercepted the two suspects in Belgium with 500 grams of the homemade explosive TATP and a detonation device found in their car.

The diplomat, 46-year-old Assadollah A, was arrested in Germany, suspected of having been in contact with the two arrested in Belgium.

Three other people were also arrested in France in connection with the case, two of whom were released.

Senior Iranian officials have dismissed the claims against the diplomat, saying they were part of a plot to harm Iran-Europe ties as the two sides seek to bolster cooperation.

Qassemi once again on Wednesday voiced Iran’s deep regret and dissatisfaction over the German government’s extradition and pledged the Islamic Republic’s determination to the plot behind the diplomat’s arrest and extradition.

Iran “will firmly and through diplomatic channels follow up on the case of this diplomat, who has fallen prey to a plot by those opposing further constructive ties between Iran and Germany and other European countries, until the truth will out and until the clarification of the terrorist groups’ malicious move,” he said.

The anti-Iranian currents in the European countries have a long history of terrorist activities and it is not so difficult for them to design such scenarios, he added.

ME