Tehran, SAEDNEWS: On July 4, 1982, the car of four Iranian diplomats namely Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, Ahmad Motevaselian, Taqi Rastegar Moqadam and Kazzem Akhavan, which was supported by the diplomatic police, was stopped by armed mercenaries under the command of the Zionist regime in Barbara region of Lebanon in violation of international rules and conventions and four Iranian diplomats were abducted," the statement said.
"Now, on the 39th anniversary of this crime, which took place by the terrorist elements affiliated with the Zionist regime, the families of these loved ones are still hoping for the freedom and the return of them," the statement noted.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly stated that there are pieces of evidence that the Iranian diplomats were handed over to the occupying forces after being illegally detained and subsequently transferred to Israeli prisons," it added.
Referring to the follow-ups done in this regard, the statement continued, "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 by international and regional institutions on the agenda."
"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. Unfortunately, the irresponsibility of the Zionist regime has slowed down the process of discovering the facts and dimensions of this incident," it highlighted.
"In honor of the memory of these loved ones, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes that pursuing their destiny is considered as one of its priorities on the agenda of diplomatic relations with international and regional institutes. Once again, according to the report of the former UN Secretary-General and the letter of the then Prime Minister of Lebanon to him in 2008, we urge 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 and human rights issue, which is relevant to international conventions and accepted by the international community," the statement said.
Appreciating Lebanon for its cooperation in this regard, the Foreign Ministry also called on the authorities of the Arab country to seriously decide on the proposals submitted by the Islamic Republic of Iran to form a committee for cooperation and joint efforts with the aim of coordinating and unifying the existing data and clarifying the hidden dimensions of this incident.
The then charge d'affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, military attaché Ahmad Motevaselian, embassy technician Taqi Rastegar Moqadam and journalist of the Islamic republic news agency Kazzem Akhavan were kidnapped by the Lebanese mercenary army - also known as the Falangists - at gunpoint in Northern Lebanon in 1982 and were later handed over to Israeli army.
Israel has released contradictory reports on the issue. The Zionist regime alleged in a statement last year that the diplomats had never been surrendered to Israel. Elsewhere it claimed in response to a request put forward by the Lebanese Hezbollah group that the four are already dead.
In January 2009, the then Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that Iran had received a report from the Zionist regime which said the kidnapped Iranian diplomats had not been transferred to Tel Aviv and laid the blame on the Lebanese mercenary army affiliated with Israel.
In reaction to the report, the spokesman said at the time that the report "will not relieve the Zionist regime of its responsibility" for the healthiness and safe repatriation of the diplomats (Source: FARS NEWS).
Deputy FM: Iran to Continue Talks to Fulfill Own Demands
