Europe

Home page

Europe

Iran summons Swiss envoy over abduction of Iranians in Syria: TV

07 August 2012 17:39 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Swiss charge d’affaires on Wednesday to protest the abduction of the Iranian pilgrims by the opposition groups in Syria, Press TV reported, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Reza Zabib, the director general of the North America Bureau of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told the Swiss envoy that Washington is responsible for the lives of the Iranian nationals kidnapped in Syria, according to the report.

The United States should use its influence on the opposition groups in Syria to free the abducted Iranians "without any preconditions," Zabib was quoted as saying.

Switzerland’s charge d’affaires said that Iran’s protest will be conveyed to the U.S. administration and its response will be handed to Iran, said Press TV.

The Swiss embassy in Tehran represents the U.S. interests in Iran since Tehran and Washington severed diplomatic relations in 1980.

A total of 48 Iranian pilgrims were abducted Saturday by militants in the Syrian capital of Damascus.