Conflicting reports have emerged over the brief detention of Salehi, a former head of the Iranian atomic energy organisation.
Πηγή: The Guardian
Saeed Kamali Dehghan and Helena Smith
June 28 2012
Conflicting reports have emerged over the detention of the Iranian foreign minister by an anti-terror unit at Larnaca Airport.
Conflicting reports have emerged over the brief detention of the Iranian foreign minister, by an anti-terror unit at Larnaca International Airport on his official visit to Cyprus.
Both Iranian and Cyprus governments denied media reports that Salehi was arrested temporarily because his name was listed on an outdated EU travel ban targeting Iranian officials including those involved in the country's controversial nuclear programme.
Salehi, a former head of the Iranian atomic energy organisation, was previously banned from entering EU countries but restrictions on him were lifted when president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promoted him to foreign minister in December 2010.
The Turkish media organisation, TRT, reported on the website of its Persian language service that Salehi was arrested but shortly released by anti-terrorism police in the airport.
Some Twitter users posted a photo they said was from Salehi in handcuffs but its authenticity has since been questioned.
But, speaking to Cyprus Mail , an English language newspaper published in the country, justice minister, Loucas Louca, said Salehi was "delayed" because of miscommunication between the police and the foreign ministry about his current travel situation.
"Despite his visit being planned in advance, on arrival at the old Larnaca airport (where the VIP hall stands), airport police found themselves in a brief quandary as to what to do, after discovering that the visiting dignitary's name was on the stop list," reported Cyprus Mail, an English language newspaper published in Cyprus.
The Cyprus government vehemently denied that there had been a "diplomatic incident" involving the Iranian foreign minister.
Speaking to the Guardian, the government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said any suggestion that Ali Akbar Salehi had been arraigned while visiting the island in an official capacity earlier this week was "simply not true."
"Nothing happened during his visit. It's simply not true that the foreign minister was arrested," Stefanou said. "There was no diplomatic incident as Politis [a local newspaper] reported. The story was based on misinformation. I have no idea where the minister is now but it is certain he is not in Cyprus."
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, also denied the media reports.
Last week, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faced domestic embarrassment after being declared persona non grata in Brazil, snubbed by his Brazilian counterpart, Dilma Rousseff, and ending up posing pictures with airport bodyguards.
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