Iranian embassy employee seeks asylum in Norway, lawyer says
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 February 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iranian embassy employee seeks asylum in Norway, lawyer says, 22 February 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/513dd1bfc.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 22, 2013
Mohammad Reza Heydari, a former consular official in Norway, defected in 2009.
An employee of the Iranian Embassy in Oslo is reportedly seeking asylum in Norway.
A lawyer for the Iranian man, who remains anonymous, said he was in hiding with his family while Norwegian authorities handle his application.
The lawyer, Joergen Loevdal, said his client asked for asylum in December but declined to say for what reasons.
It's unclear whether the man has diplomatic status.
Several Iranian diplomats have defected in recent years to protest human rights and electoral abuses in Iran.
These include Mohammad Reza Heydari, a former consular official in Norway, who defected in 2009, and Farzad Farhangian, who left the Iranian Embassy in Brussels in 2010.
Hossein Alizadeh resigned in 2010 from the Iranian Embassy in Finland to join the political opposition.
Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
