UK’s Diplomatic Protection for Zaghari Contravenes Intl. Law: Iran’s Envoy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s ambassador to Britain said a recent decision by the UK government to grant diplomatic protection to a dual British-Iranian journalist convicted of spying and planning to overthrow the Iranian government violates international law.
“UK Govt's extension of diplomatic protection to Ms Zaghari contravenes int'l law,” Hamid Baeedinejad wrote on his Twitter late on Thursday.
He added, “Govts may only exercise such protection for own nationals. As UK Govt is acutely aware, Iran does not recognize dual nationality. Irrespective of UK residency, Ms Zaghari thus remains Iranian.”
On Thursday, British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt said the UK will exercise diplomatic protection for Zaghari.
“… I have today decided that the UK will take a step that is extremely unusual and exercise diplomatic protection,” Hunt said in a statement, adding that the move signaled to Tehran that “its behavior is totally wrong”.
At the time of her arrest, the IRGC referred to Zaghari as “a main ringleader of hostile institutions who had been involved in criminal activities over the past years under the auspices of the foreign governments’ media and espionage services.”
Employed by foreign media and intelligence services, she had been involved in planning and performing media and cyber projects with the purpose of “soft overthrow” of the Islamic Republic’s Establishment, it added.
She is now serving a five-year sentence in Iran.