TEHRAN — On the 39th anniversary of the kidnapping of Iranian diplomats in Lebanon by armed groups aligned with the Zionist regime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement urging the United Nations to pursue legal actions on the matter.

The statement reads as follows:

"On July 4, 1982, the car of four Iranian diplomats - Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, Haj Ahmad Motusalian, Taqi Rastegar Moghadam and Kazem Akhavan -which was under the protection of diplomatic police, was stopped contrary to the rules and international conventions by armed mercenaries under the command of the Zionist regime in the Barabara region of Lebanon, and our dear diplomats were abducted.

Now on the 39th anniversary of this crime, which took place at the hands of terrorist agents affiliated with the Zionist regime, the families of these loved ones, enduring a lot of grief, are still hoping for the freedom and the return of their loved ones.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly stated that there is evidence that the Iranian diplomats were handed over to the occupying forces after being illegally detained and subsequently transferred to Israeli prisons.

Since the occurrence of this terrorist incident, the Islamic Republic of Iran, considering its human, legal and political dimensions, has taken extensive measures and put the pursuit of this issue on the agenda of international and regional institutions.

Due to the occupation of Lebanon by the Zionist regime in 1982, the political and legal responsibility of the kidnapping of diplomats and this terrorist act rests with the Zionist regime and its terrorist supporters, and unfortunately the Zionist regime's lack of accountability has slowed down the process of discovering the facts and dimensions of this incident.

In honor of the memory of these loved ones, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes that pursuing their fate as one of its priorities in the agenda of diplomatic relations with international and regional aspects, and once again with regard to the report of the former Secretary General and the letter from the then-Prime Minister of Lebanon to him in 2008, urges the current Secretary-General and other international and human rights organizations and institutions, including the Red Cross, to pay more serious attention to this human rights issue, which is related to international conventions and accepted by the international community. The ministry calls on these institutions to pay attention to the rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the families and children of these loved ones.

In this regard, while thanking the friendly and brotherly country of Lebanon, which has had good cooperation in the process of following up this incident, it also calls on the Lebanese authorities regarding the proposals submitted by the Islamic Republic of Iran to form a cooperation committee and joint efforts to coordinate and consolidate the available data and clarify the hidden dimensions of this incident, make serious decisions and consider the necessary recommendations for progress in this case as soon as possible, so that we can witness joint and effective measures in this issue."

The case of the abducted diplomats has long been debated by the Iranian officials in international floors, such as the United Nations, and the United Nations Security Council. Iran has time and again emphasized that the diplomats are alive, based on received intelligence. 
 

SA/PA