PRESS RELEASE

Embassy's Press Release on the judgement of the Court of Antwerp of 4 February 2021

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Brussels issued a Press Release on February the 4th in reaction to a judgement handed down by the court of Antwerp in the case of the Iranian Diplomat, Mr. Assadollah Assadi

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg strongly deplores the judgement issued by the Court of Antwerp on 4 February 2021 in the case of Mr. Assadollah Assadi. It is evident that his arrest in Germany in June 2018, his incarceration for more than two years in Belgium, and his trial by a Belgian court are in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), in start contravention of customary international law and contrary to many case laws and legal doctrines.

The Embassy categorically rejects the allegations levelled against Mr. Assadi, fabricated by the nefarious MEK cult, and reiterates his status as a diplomat throughout the proceeding. It follows from his status as a diplomat that his person should not have been violated and that his arrest in Germany was illegal. Besides, his basic human rights have been ignored throughout the entire procedure; from the moment of his illegal arrest in Germany to his incarceration in Belgium.

Such flagrant disregard for principles of international law will set a dangerous precedent which will undermine international law and deal a serious blow to the institution of diplomacy as a whole.