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EU Foreign Ministers call on Iran to release Embassy staff immediately

Read the statement

The Foreign Ministers of the European Union remain seriously concerned about events in Iran. They condemn the continued arrest and detention of peaceful demonstrators and journalists, and the increasing restrictions on both the domestic and foreign media. EU Foreign Ministers condemn the unjustified expulsion of two UK Diplomats and the detention of several Iranian staff working at the British Embassy in Tehran.

They call on the Iranian authorities to release these Embassy staff immediately and to offer full protection of all staff working in EU Embassies in Tehran in accordance with the Vienna convention and Diplomatic norms. They make clear to the Iranian authorities that harassment or intimidation of foreign or Iranian staff working in Embassies will be met with a strong and collective EU response.

Commenting on the situation in Tehran Foreign Secretary David Miliband said:

"The United Kingdom is deeply concerned at the arrest and, in some cases, continued detention of some of our hard-working locally-engaged staff in Tehran.  This is harassment and intimidation of a kind which is quite unacceptable. These are hard-working diplomatic staff. 

The idea that the British Embassy is somehow behind the demonstrations and protests that have been taking place in Tehran in recent weeks is wholly without foundation. We have protested in strong terms, directly to the Iranian authorities, about the arrests that took place yesterday.

I think it is very important that I discuss this with my EU colleagues later on this afternoon. All European countries have made clear that they want to stand together in standing up for the diplomatic principles that are important for our diplomatic activity all over the world. At the moment our top priority is the position of our locally-engaged staff who we want to see released unharmed and back to work."

Further information

Read more about the situation in Iran