Raab condemns ‘f lagrant violation of law’ as Britain’s man in Tehran is held after protest
THE Foreign Secretary condemned Iranian authorities last night after Britain’s ambassador was arrested as violence erupted in Tehran over the country’s accidental missile attack on a passenger jet which killed 176 people.
Dominic Raab described the arrest of Rob Macaire during the protests – which saw tear gas and water cannon fired at thousands of demonstrators – as a ‘flagrant violation’ of international law.
Mr Macaire, Britain’s envoy to Iran for two years, was held by police for two hours, apparently on suspicion of organising, provoking and directing crowds, according to local reports.
Iranian media outlets accused Mr Macaire of inciting the anti-government marches which saw crowds chant ‘Death to liars’ and other slogans critical of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mr Macaire was one of a number of people arrested yesterday in connection with protests at Tehran’s Amirkabir University which, The Mail on Sunday understands, he attended on the strict understanding it was a vigil for victims of last week’s tragedy.
The ambassador is said to have left the area in the Iranian capital promptly when the vigil turned into a political demonstration. It was
The angry crowds yelled ‘death to liars’
reported that, following the protest, he went for a haircut and was arrested in a barber shop.
During his time in custody, frantic phone calls took place between diplomats in London and Tehran to secure his release. He then returned to the heavily guarded British Embassy.
In a strongly worded statement, the Foreign Secretary said: ‘The arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law.
‘The Iranian government is at a crossroads moment. It can continue its march towards pariah status, with all the political and economic isolation that entails, or take steps to deescalate tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards.’
Mr Macaire’s arrest came as demonstrations broke out across the country over the Iranian government’s handling of the crisis.
For three days officials denied any responsibility for the deaths of those aboard the Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev, which crashed minutes after take off. Many protesters believe the government admitted blame because Ukrainian crash investigators and Western intelligence agencies had found irrefutable evidence pointing to that conclusion.
Last night’s protests began after a televised statement by General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace division. He said the Corps took full responsibility for the disaster, adding he wished he could die when he heard about the incident.
It is believed the plane was mistaken for a US cruise missile and a lone air defence officer had just ten seconds to decide whether to open fire. The tragedy came hours after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at American targets in Iraq.
Three Britons were among the dead. The flight manifest included 82 Iranians, 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians.
The ambassador’s arrest came as The Mail on Sunday learned that Boris Johnson is to meet Richard Ratcliffe to discuss his wife Nazanin, 41 – held in Tehran since 2016 on trumped up spying charges.
The charity worker and mother-ofone has suffered severe panic attacks since the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad airport as she fears she will be held hostage beyond her five-year prison sentence. Mr Ratcliffe, 44, said: ‘Nazanin sounded very tired when I last spoke to her. She has also experienced chest pains.’
In a disturbing development, The Mail on Sunday has also learned that SAS-trained Iraqi Special Forces in Baghdad have pledged their allegiance to Iran in protest at Soleimani’s death. Pictures show the assault teams showing solidarity with Iran and terrorist groups – including the Lebanon-based Hezbollah – linked to the Ayatollahs in Tehran.