‘Uncertain fate of Iran diplomats tragic’

A Lebanese lawmaker says that the uncertain fate of four Iranian diplomats kidnapped by Lebanese Forces in July 1982 harms the dignity of the Muslim Ummah.

Marwan Fares, a member of Lebanese Parliament’s Human Rights Commission, said something should be done to close this case and determine the fate of the four abducted Iranian diplomats.

“Keeping these diplomats for such long time in our custody is something that needs an apology from our side to the Iranian nation,” he added.

Fares said that it is true that many Iranians have been martyred while defending the Muslim world against Israel’s attacks, but the people of Lebanon do not want to see the case of four abducted Iranian diplomats remain unresolved.

“We will continue with efforts to determine the fate of the abducted diplomats,” the Lebanese lawmaker stated.

Four Iranian nationals, chargé d’affaires Mohsen Mousavi, military attaché of the Iranian Embassy Ahmad Motevasellian, Taqi Rastegar Moqaddam, a diplomat from the embassy, and Kazem Akhavan, a reporter and photographer from the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), were captured by a Lebanese Forces (LF) militia while traveling to Beirut from the south in 1982.

The LF leader during Lebanese Civil War of 1975-1990, Samir Geagea handed the four Iranian diplomats to Israeli forces, who transferred them to a prison in Israel.

Iran insists that the abducted Iranian nationals are presently in the custody of Israel.

Geagea has admitted several times before that his forces abducted the Iranian diplomats.