The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic rejected statements made by French officials regarding the detention and physical abuse of two French embassy staff members in Tehran, claiming that the pair were attending a meeting with “wanted security suspects.”
Mohammad Tanhai, head of the Second Bureau for Western Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dismissed remarks by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot concerning the “intimidation” of French embassy personnel in Tehran as “baseless and incorrect.”
Citing reports from “relevant authorities,” Tanhai stated that the two French citizens were present at a gathering with several “wanted security suspects” on the evening of Sunday, July 19.
According to the official, security forces briefly questioned the two individuals at the scene, where “numerous documents indicating anti-security activities” were uncovered and remain under investigation.
Tanhai added that once officers were made aware of the pair’s diplomatic affiliation with the French Embassy, they were transferred to the diplomatic police and subsequently handed over to the French Embassy following coordination with the Foreign Ministry and contact with the French ambassador.
