Salehi: Cases Of 6 Iranians Sentenced In S. Arabia Being Followed Up

Tehran, July 2, IRNA – Minister of Foreign Affaires Ali-Akbar Salehi says his ministry is following up both from judicial and consular points of view the cases of six Iranian nationals, sentenced in Saudi Arabia. Speaking to IRNA on the sidelines of a Majlis open session, Salehi outlined the measures taken by his ministry in this connection, saying his ministry had done its best both through legal and consular channels in connection with the subject and is following up the cases. He said that last year, Iranian Foreign Ministry managed to release more than 700 Iranians from jails in South Asia and Persian Gulf littoral states. Meanwhile, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs said Saudi Arabia has commuted the death sentences handed to six Iranian nationals arrested in the kingdom to 15 years in prison. “They have verbally informed us and a number of Iranian detainees, who are being held and sentenced to death on charges of drug possession, that the sentences of six of the inmates have been commuted to 15 years in prison,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told IRNA on Saturday. "They have also said that they will soon send an official note [on the revised sentences] to our Embassy [in Riyadh],” he added. The Iranian top diplomat further said that an inmate has also been pardoned and would be released soon. On Saudi Arabia's execution of 18 Iranian nationals on alleged charges of drug possession, Amir-Abdollahian condemned the move as ‘unacceptable.’ “The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to pursue the issue [of the executions]. We do not consider the Saudi move as merely technical and Saudi Arabia must exactly explain [the reason behind] its action and face its consequences,” he added. After reports about the execution of Iranian inmates in Saudi jails were confirmed, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi Arabian charge d’affaires on June 11. The Foreign Ministry expressed the Islamic Republic’s strong objection to the executions, announcing that Tehran will pursue the case by means of relevant bodies. The prisoners were Iranian sailors who were arrested on a fishing boat in international waters 70 miles off the coast of Saudi Arabia six years ago on false charges of drug possession./end