US Blamed for Death of Iranian Citizen in Philippine Custody
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday criticized the US for laying “trumped-up charges” against Iranian national Parviz Khaki, who died in the Philippines on Monday after being kept in custody for 27 months at the request of US Department of Justice.
Khaki, 47, died on Monday evening while in custody in the Philippines. He was held in detention for 27 months following a US federal indictment in March 2012, alleging that he had attempted to export US-origin materials “with nuclear applications”.
The deceased had been remaining in Philippine custody while the US intended to seek his extradition to stand trial in the District of Columbia.
In reaction to Khaki’s death, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham on Wednesday offered condolences to his family, saying Mr. Khaki has died of “unknown causes” in a detention center at Manila, the Philippines.
Leveling criticism at the US, Afkham added that Washington “always puts pressure on the countries in the name of violation of human rights in order to fulfill its illegitimate interests.”
She said the US had indeed “paved the way for the detention of the Iranian national by ignoring the fundamentals and principles of human rights.”
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will pursue the issue of how Mr. Khaki has passed away by contacting the Filipino officials,” she underlined.
