Tehran slams Washington over ‘racist’ arrest of Iranian citizens
Tehran has censured the United States for stepping up the arbitrary arrest of Iranian citizens in the past month, saying the “racist” approach contravenes human rights principles.
Speaking during a press conference in Tehran on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a number of Iranians residing in the US have been subject to detention and harassment simply due to their being Iranian citizens.
“The arrests made over the past month, along with the assaults that have taken place, are contrary to recognized principles and foundations of human rights and, at the same time, show the racist approach of the US security and law enforcement agencies,” he added.
The spokesman also noted that Iran has officially pursued the matter through the US Interests Section in Tehran and the Iranian Interests Section in Washington, which is housed in the Pakistani Embassy, emphasizing the need for ensuring access of Iranian citizens abroad to their consular rights.
During the press briefing, Baghaei was also asked about the case of an Iranian father who was taken into US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody while dropping off his child at a preschool in the town of Beaverton, Oregon, on July 15.
He said the charge brought against the Iranian national is the same repetitive and clichéd accusation of circumventing sanctions.
The Islamic Republic considers the US sanctions against the country completely illegal, he said, adding that the restrictive measures lack legal legitimacy.
Meanwhile, the spokesman said the United States, based on its unjustified approach, has prosecuted and indicted a large number of Iranian nationals over the past decades.
Under President Donald Trump, the United States has ramped up detentions of immigrants.
After the unprovoked Israeli-US aggression against Iran in June, the US expanded the arrest of Iranians, some of whom have legally resided in the US for a long time.
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