Site icon TheDailyCheck.net

Austria says 2 citizens held in Iran released, thanks Belgium and Oman

BERLIN (AP) — Two Austrian citizens who were held in Iran have been released and are on their way home, Austria’s foreign minister said Friday.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said he was “very relieved” that Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb were being brought home after “years of arduous detention in Iran.“

He thanked the foreign ministers of Belgium and Oman for providing “valuable support,” without elaborating on what form it took.

Iranian state media and officials did not immediately acknowledge a release on Friday, which is part of the weekend in the Islamic Republic.

Last week, a prisoner exchange between Belgium and Iran saw an Iranian diplomat convicted of attempting to bomb exiles in France returning to Tehran while a visibly gaunt aid worker headed back to Brussels.

Iran has detained a number of foreigners and dual nationals over the years, accusing them of espionage or other state security offenses and sentencing them following secretive trials in which rights groups say they have been denied due process.

Critics have repeatedly accused Iran of using such prisoners as bargaining chips with the West.

Iran, facing Western sanctions over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, has faced protests in recent months and economic strain. However, it has seen the International Atomic Energy Agency drop two inquiries into its program while also reaching a detente with Saudi Arabia through Chinese mediation.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the Code of Conduct. The Star
does not endorse these opinions.

For all the latest World News Click Here 

 For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News

Read original article here

Denial of responsibility! TheDailyCheck is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email – abuse@thedailycheck.net The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
Exit mobile version