Iran Condemns Canadian FMˈs Comments On Presidential Elections

Tehran, June 10, IRNA – Iran FM spokesman here Sunday condemned unthoughtful comments of Canadian foreign minister which led to the suspension of bilateral relations, closure of embassies and ending consular services, including the Islamic Republic's Presidential Election ballots in Canadian cities. Seyyed Abbas Araqchi further noted, ˈIran has during the entire previous presidential elections arranged for polling ballots in various countries to safeguard the citizenship rights of Iranians living abroad.ˈ On arranging for no voting stations in Canada this year, he reiterated, ˈThe Canadian Government is fully responsible for not holding the elections for the dear Iranian citizens in Canada.ˈ Seyyed Abbas Araqchi added, ˈThe Canadian Government in the past, too, and under the conditions of having normal diplomatic relations with Iran never permitted stationing voting ballots outside Ottawa, and had thus deprived many Iranians of their legal rights.ˈ He reiterated, ˈThe deceitful gesture of the Canadian foreign minister in defense of the Iraniansˈ rights is under such conditions that the Canadian Government has a long record of making moves that have led to depriving the Iranian citizens of their most basic rights.ˈ He added, ˈWe can for instance refer to the limitations in offering banking services and blocking the bank accounts of the Iranians residing in Canada, closure of the Consular Office of the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, and finally, depriving the Iranians from taking advantage of the consular services of the IRI Consular Office in Ottawa.ˈ Araqchi said, ˈThe Canadian Government has gone so far as granting full freedom to the well-known terrorist groups and dropping the name of the MKO terrorist organization from the list of terrorist groups, thus putting at stake the lives of the dear Iranian citizens living and studying in Canada.ˈ He emphasized, ˈA government that on the one hand treats the Iranians the way the Canadian Government treats them and on the other hand in accordance with the clear vote issued by the Canadian Supreme Court it has cheated and committed fraud in 2011 Elections, is totally deprived of the required legitimacy and legal authority to make baseless comments on democratic rights of the Iranian citizens.ˈ The diplomat reiterated, ˈThe Islamic Republic is proud to announce that despite the entire futile efforts made by the Canadian Government to deprive the Iranian citizens of their rights, and in order to make sure that the dear Iranians living in Canada would be benefited from consular service, we have resorted to numerous initiatives inside and outside the country.ˈ/end