Xinhua & BBC News – 2007-04-07 23:39:02
TV: kidnapped Iranian diplomat released in Iraq
< big>Xinhua
TEHRAN )April 3, 2007) — Iranian state-run television reported on Tuesday that the second secretary of Iran’s embassy in Iraq, who was kidnapped in Baghdad in February, had been released.
Jalal Sharafi, the abducted diplomat, has been released and would return to Tehran Tuesday, said the report, without disclosing how and when he was released.
Iran’s embassy in Iraq on Tuesday also made an announcement and confirmed this report.
“He was released yesterday (Monday) and I don’t have further details on his kidnapping,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
Sharafi was abducted on Feb. 4 by about 30 gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms in more than 10 military vehicles, in front of the Baghdad branch of Iran’s state-owned Bank Melli without any escort.
Iran accused the U.S. forces in Iraq of “supervising the operation,” saying, “Iran holds America responsible for the safety and life of the (abducted) diplomat.”
But the U.S. side has denied the accusations. The U.S. military on Tuesday said it was ignorant of Sharafi’s release.
“We were not holding him, so we do not know about his release,”said spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Garver.
Iranian Diplomat Claims He Was Tortured by CIA Agents
Xinhua / www.chinaview.cn
TEHRAN, April 7 (Xinhua) — The Iranian diplomat released this week after being abducted in Iraq said that he had been tortured by CIA agents, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.
Jalal Sharafi “explained how he was kidnapped and tortured by American troops and agents of an Iraqi organization acting under the supervision of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),”IRNA said.
Signs of torture were evident on Sharafi’s body and he “is now undergoing medical treatment,” IRNA said.
Iranian officials have said that Sharafi was abducted on Feb. 4 by about 30 gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms in more than 10 military vehicles, in front of the Baghdad branch of Iran’s state-owned Bank Melli without any escort.
“While shopping at a store in one of Baghdad streets, I was kidnapped by several agents who were holding identity cards of Iraq ‘s Ministry of Defense,” Sharafi was quoted by IRNA as saying.
“Then the kidnappers took me to a base near Baghdad Airport and I was investigated by a few interrogators. Some of them were speaking in Arabic and others in English,” he said.
The questions of CIA agents mainly concerned Iran’s presence in and influence on Iraq, the Iranian diplomat said, adding that they kept on asking about the extent of Iran’s assistance to Nouri al-Maleki’s government and Iraqi groups.
“Upon hearing my response about Iran’s official relations with the Iraqi government and officials, they continued torturing me,” Sharafi said.
“Then they attempted to encourage me to cooperate with them by changing their approach. But I told them that they can contact Iranian Embassy in Baghdad for any information, given that I am only a diplomat and cannot act beyond the limit of my legal duties,” he said.
Sharafi said later he heard that under the pressure of Iraqi officials, the kidnappers were forced to release him. “After they set me free near Baghdad Airport, I managed to get to the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad with the assistance of people,” he said.
Iranian state-run television reported on Tuesday that the second secretary of Iran’s embassy in Iraq had been released.
Sharafi was abducted on Feb. 4 by about 30 gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms in more than 10 military vehicles, in front of the Baghdad branch of Iran’s state-owned Bank Melli without any escort.
Iran accused the U.S. forces in Iraq of “supervising the operation,” saying “Iran holds America responsible for the safety and life of the (abducted) diplomat.”
But the U.S. side has denied the accusations. The U.S. military on Tuesday said it was ignorant of Sharafi’s release. “We were not holding him, so we do not know about his release,” said spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Garver.
US denies Iranian torture claim
BBC News
The US has denied claims made by an Iranian diplomat abducted in Iraq that he was tortured in captivity by people who included CIA agents.
A US spokesman said Jalal Sharafi’s allegations of a US role in his detention were “theatrics” from the “Iranian propaganda machine”.
Mr Sharafi, second secretary at Iran’s embassy in Baghdad, was freed last week. He was abducted in February.
He said CIA agents had interrogated him on his country’s role in Iraq.
“The United States had nothing to do with Mr Sharafi’s detention and we welcome his return to Iran,” said Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman.
“This is just the latest theatrics of a government trying to deflect attention away from its own unacceptable actions,” he said.
A US military spokesman in Baghdad also said that multinational forces had nothing to do with Mr Sharafi’s kidnapping.
‘Increased the torture’
The Iranian envoy told the Irna state news agency he was subjected to torture “day and night”.
“I was kidnapped on a Baghdad street while shopping by officials who had Iraqi defence ministry ID cards and were riding in American forces vehicles,” he said.
Mr Sharafi said he was taken from the Karrada district to a base near Baghdad airport and questioned in Arabic and English.
“The CIA officials’ questions focused mainly on Iran’s presence and influence in Iraq,” he said.
“When faced with my responses on Iran’s official ties with the Iraqi government they increased the torture.”
Iran’s Fars news agency said: “He showed reporters the marks left by torture on his body that are now being treated by doctors.”
Mr Sharafi was freed on 3 April. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari has said Baghdad does not know who held him.
Diplomatic tension remains high between Washington and Tehran over the detention by US forces of five Iranians in the Iraqi city of Irbil in January.
The US suspects them of aiding the Iraqi insurgency. Tehran says they have diplomatic status.
Iran this week released 15 UK sailors it had held for 13 days.
