Iran Holds Israel Responsible for 1982 Abduction of Diplomats in Lebanon
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran issued a statement on the 42nd anniversary of kidnapping of four Iranian diplomats by mercenaries of the Zionist regime in Lebanon in 1982, saying Israel is politically and legally responsible for the abduction.
What follows is the text of the statement, issued by the Foreign Ministry on July 4:
On the 42nd anniversary of the kidnapping of four Iranian diplomats in Lebanon, Gentlemen Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, Ahmad Motavasselian, Kazem Akhavan, and Taqi Rastegar Moqaddam by mercenaries affiliated with the Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs commemorates these national heroes and sympathizes with their families.
Recalling the decades-long history of the crimes perpetrated by the Zionist regime against the nations in the region, including the ongoing genocide in Palestine, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again emphasizes that the fate of the four kidnapped Iranian diplomats should be clarified and it holds the Zionist regime, as the occupying force in Lebanon at the time, politically and legally responsible for the crime of kidnapping the loved ones.
Despite the intensive political, legal and international efforts and persistence by the Foreign Ministry during the past 42 years, which in 2008 led to the then UN Secretary General expressing readiness to cooperate, unfortunately, the international community, especially human rights institutions, has not yet taken effective measures to help determine the fate of the diplomats.
Within this context, we once again stress on the responsibilities of the UN and human rights institutions, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to diligently follow up on the case until a desired outcome, namely the determination of the fate of these loved ones, is achieved.
While appreciating the valuable measures and cooperation by the friendly and brotherly government of the Republic of Lebanon in the past years, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses the need to continue the efforts and moves by the official political and judicial institutions as well as the Lebanese government as the host government to determine the fate of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s diplomats. It once again underlines the suggestion to establish a joint fact-finding between the two countries and under the aegis of international institutions to diligently pursue the fate of these loved ones.