Another Iran diplomat seeks asylum in Switzerland, sources say
An Iranian diplomat posted in Austria has left his assignment and sought asylum in Switzerland, informed sources told Iran International on Tuesday.
An Iranian diplomat posted in Austria has left his assignment and sought asylum in Switzerland, informed sources told Iran International on Tuesday.
Gholamreza Derikvand, Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Vienna, had broken with Tehran and is now in Switzerland. There was no immediate comment from Iran’s foreign ministry.
Sources told Iran International that officials at the ministry had avoided discussing the case, with some staff citing security concerns.
Derikvand previously served as charge d’affaires at Iran’s embassy in the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2014 and was viewed by colleagues as a career diplomat who could have risen to ambassador.
The move follows a similar case last month in which Alireza Jeyrani Hokmabad, a senior Iranian diplomat based at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, left his post and sought asylum in Switzerland with his family.
Diplomatic sources said fears linked to Iran’s political unrest and concerns over the stability of the governing system had prompted the decision.
