SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT FATE OF IRANIAN NATIONALS MISSING SINCE 8 AUGUST CAPTURE OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF BY TALIBAN
Press Release
SG/SM/6678
AFG/82
SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT FATE OF IRANIAN NATIONALS MISSING SINCE 8 AUGUST CAPTURE OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF BY TALIBAN
19980821 Following is the text of a statement attributable to the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the fate of the 11 Iranian diplomats and a journalist who were at the Iranian Consulate-General in Mazar-i-Sharif on 8 August when the city was captured by the Taliban. They have been missing since then.
The Secretary-General received on 10 August, a letter from Dr. Kamel Kharrazi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who requested the United Nations to help secure the return of these Iranian nationals. Upon receipt of the request, the Secretary-General gave instructions that the United Nations should do whatever is possible in order to facilitate a satisfactory resolution of this issue.
We have been in contact with the Taliban, the Pakistani authorities, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other sources. Unfortunately, these contacts have not yet produced results.
The Secretary-General would like to remind whoever is involved that the diplomatic status of these Iranians must be respected and protected under the Vienna Conventions. The Secretary-General appeals to all the parties concerned, in particular the Taliban, to help find these missing people and assist in their safe return to Iran.
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