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Kidnapped Iranian diplomat freed in Iraq: Report
Tehran,
Apr
3:
An
Iranian
diplomat
who
was
kidnapped
in
Iraq
two
months
ago
was
released
today
and
has
arrived
back
in
Iran,
Iran's
official
IRNA
news
agency
reported.
Gunmen
in
Iraqi
army
uniforms
kidnapped
the
diplomat
in
February
and
Tehran
blamed
the
US
military
for
his
abduction.
''Jalal
Sharafi,
second
secretary
of
Iran's
embassy
in
Baghdad,
who
was
kidnapped
in
Baghdad
on
February
4,
was
released
on
Tuesday,''
IRNA
reported,
adding
that
he
arrived
back
in
Tehran
where
he
was
welcomed
by
Foreign
Minister
Manouchehr
Mottaki.
An
Iraqi
government
official
said
at
the
time
he
was
seized
that
Sharafi
was
snatched
in
Baghdad's
central
Karrada
district
by
30
gunmen
wearing
the
uniforms
of
a
special
Iraqi
army
unit
that
often
works
with
US
military
forces
in
Iraq.
Iran's
Foreign
Ministry
said
the
kidnapping
was
carried
out
by
a
group
attached
to
Iraq's
Defence
Ministry
''which
works
under
the
supervision
of
American
forces''.
The
Iranian
ministry
summoned
the
Swiss
and
Iraqi
ambassadors
to
Iran
to
protest
against
the
abduction.
The
Swiss
embassy
handles
US
affairs
in
Iran,
which
has
no
diplomatic
relations
with
its
arch-foe
Washington.
US
forces
in
Iraq
have
arrested
a
number
of
Iranians,
including
diplomats,
in
the
past
and
are
still
holding
five.
Washington
accuses
Tehran
of
aiding
militants
fighting
US
forces
in
Iraq
and
U.S.
President
George
W
Bush
has
vowed
to
disrupt
such
support.
Iran
denies
the
charge,
and
blames
occupying
US
and
British
troops
for
violence
in
Iraq.
Reuters
