Iran accuses the Netherlands of supporting terrorism

Iran on Tuesday accused the Netherlands of backing terrorists as the row over the execution and speedy burial of Iranian-Dutch national Zahra Bahrami intensified.


Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said at his weekly news conference the Netherlands is ‘claiming to be civilised’ but at the same time defends the interests of criminals, drugs dealers and terrorists, according to media reports.
The Netherlands is making ‘a human rights issue out of an indefensible drug case and applying political pressure’, AFP quoted him as saying.
Terrorist groups
‘We can see an example of the wrong path of western countries, especially the Netherlands, in supporting terrorist groups… who have over 12,000 killings in their records,’ Mehmanparast said. He was referring to Iran’s armed opposition, the People’s Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran, some of whom live in western Europe as refugees.
According to ANP, the EU scrapped the organisation from its list of terrorist organisations in 2009.
The Netherlands on Monday recalled its ambassador from Tehran, following the surprise burial of Bahrami before her family had arrived.
Anti-government
She was convicted of drugs smuggling but was initally arrested in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests in 2009.
Dutch foreign minister Uri Rosenthal said earlier that Iran’s ambassador to the Netherlands had been invited twice to explain the execution and burial.
In addition, the Volkskrant reports that the Dutch ambassador in Tehran ‘found a closed door’ when he went to attend a meeting at the Iranian foreign ministry.

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