UK Envoy Arrested after Provoking Anti-Iran Gathering: Source
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Britain’s Ambassador to Iran Rob Macaire was arrested Saturday after he tried to “provoke and organize” an anti-government gathering held in front of Amir Kabir University in Tehran, an informed security source said on Sunday.
“While standing outside the university, the British ambassador began to provoke and organize the protesters and was arrested inside a shop after security forces became suspicious of him,” the informed source told Tasnim.
“The British ambassador was detained in accordance with the law for being illegally present (in the protest) in violation of diplomatic norms and while he was acting against the country’s security,” he said.
The British diplomat was handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then was released, the security source added.
As the envoy was provoking and filming the protesters, he was confronted with the security forces and was clearly fearful of his arrest, the source said.
A group of students had gathered inside the university to voice their protest after Iran announced the unintentional downing of a Ukrainian plane.
The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces announced on Saturday that the country’s air defense unintentionally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane on January 8 amid the highest level of readiness because of a possible military attack by the US.
Later, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei ordered the Iranian Armed Forces to hold an inquiry about the faults and shortcomings that resulted in the unintentional downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane by the air defense.