Iran appeals to Italy to release prisoners arrested for trafficking of Iran citizens’ arms, RIA Novosti reports citing ISNA information agency and Iran’s Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki.
In early April Italian finance guards arrested seven people, suspected in arms trafficking, including two Iran citizens – a 51 year old correspondent Khamid Masuminejad of an Iranian TV company Irib and Ali Damirkhilu.
“According to the president’s edict… we pay special attention on the issue (the release of Iran’s citizens). In the nearest future there will be a telephone conversation with Franco Frattini (Italy’s Foreign Minister), within which the problem will be discussed”, - the agency cites Mottaki.
At the same time Iran’s minister noted, that his country’s authorities count on Rome’s reasonableness and positive resolution of the problem.
“I hope that Italian authorities will realize (their mistake) and quit this game of politics and give our citizens a decisive answer”, - he added.
Earlier, on Tuesday, an official speaker of Iran’s Foreign Ministry Ramin Mehmanparsat declared that the arrest of Iran’s citizens for arms trafficking is a political game of Western Countries. In particular, he declared that Masuminejad and Damirchilu are victims of “a chain of planned operations from a scenario, developed by Americans to accuse our citizens, using import of dual-compatibility equipment as a pretext”.
According to Milan’s prosecution office that the arrestees participated in illegal arms import to Iran violating international approbations. This case’s investigations started in June 2009 and ended with an operation, codenamed “Sniper”.
Operation “Sniper” resulted in 300 scopes for combat rifles from a thousand unit shipment confiscated in Hungary and the Heathrow Airport of London. The shipment was planned to be transported to Iran via different intermediaries.
According to Italy’s investigation agencies, trafficking of tracer bullets, explosives and combustible chemicals, used in military industry, from East Europe to Iran was stopped.
