Iran asks KSA to rescind immunity over diplomat’s deadly crash

An Iranian lawmaker says the Islamic Republic is pursuing the case of the deadly car crash caused by a drunken Saudi Arabian diplomat in Tehran and has asked Riyadh to rescind the man’s diplomatic immunity.

MP Mehdi Davatgari, who is a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on Monday that the Iranian Judiciary initially wrote a letter about the case to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which later posted another letter to the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry demanding that the diplomat’s immunity be rescinded.

Given the diplomatic immunity of the Saudi diplomat, of course the case is facing some difficulties, the Iranian legislator said, adding that there are two solutions to the problem: either the Iranian Judiciary takes up the case itself, or the Saudi Judiciary commits itself to the prosecution of the diplomat and the rescission of his diplomatic immunity.

Davatgari said Iran adheres to international conventions to which Saudi Arabia is also a member.

He went on to say that the Iranian Foreign Ministry and Majlis are trying to safeguard the rights of the children and relatives of the deceased Iranian citizen to receive legal damages.

On March 18, a drunken Saudi Embassy staffer killed an Iranian driver and injured a passerby in a car accident in a neighborhood of northeastern Tehran.

The Saudi staffer rammed his vehicle into the Iranian car before veering off the road. The Iranian driver was killed on the spot.

Four bottles of alcoholic beverages were found in the Saudi Embassy employee’s car. The police quickly arrived at the scene and started an investigation into the case.

On March 19, former Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, “The Foreign Ministry immediately began pursuing the issue through judicial and diplomatic channels after being informed [of the accident] and has taken the necessary measures in this regard.”

M.D