Tehran mayor sues UK embassy
Source: Agencies |
November 2, 2011, Wednesday
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THE mayor of Tehran has launched legal proceedings against the British embassy which he accuses of destroying an embassy garden in the Iranian capital - the latest spat in prickly ties with London.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed yesterday the judiciary was investigating Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf's accusation that 300 trees had been cut or burned down at one of two British embassy compounds in Tehran.
The embassy denied the charge, saying extension works on the metro had disrupted the water supply causing 31 trees to die.
Qalibaf told Iranian newspapers Britain's disregard for the environment at the compound in Tehran's leafy Gholhak neighbourhood was an example of its historic hostility to Iran. "One of the darkest cases in the Iranian people's historical memories pertains to the British government," he was quoted as saying by Arman daily. "(Its) hostile behavior can be seen at the Gholhak compound."
He did not specify which historic event he was referring to but many Iranians blame a variety of ills on Britain, sometimes calling it the 'little Satan" to the "big Satan" of the United States which has no diplomatic ties with Iran.
Britain is resented for the way it exploited Iran's oil in the early 20th century and for supporting a US-backed military coup in 1953, among other issues.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed yesterday the judiciary was investigating Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf's accusation that 300 trees had been cut or burned down at one of two British embassy compounds in Tehran.
The embassy denied the charge, saying extension works on the metro had disrupted the water supply causing 31 trees to die.
Qalibaf told Iranian newspapers Britain's disregard for the environment at the compound in Tehran's leafy Gholhak neighbourhood was an example of its historic hostility to Iran. "One of the darkest cases in the Iranian people's historical memories pertains to the British government," he was quoted as saying by Arman daily. "(Its) hostile behavior can be seen at the Gholhak compound."
He did not specify which historic event he was referring to but many Iranians blame a variety of ills on Britain, sometimes calling it the 'little Satan" to the "big Satan" of the United States which has no diplomatic ties with Iran.
Britain is resented for the way it exploited Iran's oil in the early 20th century and for supporting a US-backed military coup in 1953, among other issues.
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