Two Iranian girls who left their father in Tehran have sought asylum at the Belgian embassy in Tehran to live with their mother in Belgium; a family dispute that may escalate into a diplomatic issue. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that 15-year-old Yasmin Pourhashemi and her 6-year-old sister Sara went to the Belgian embassy on Tuesday after fleeing from their father. The spokesperson noted that their father chose to remain in Iran after returning from a vacation in Greece in August. Both girls hold dual Iranian and Belgian citizenship. Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel announced on Wednesday that he has instructed the Belgian embassy in Tehran to keep the girls until their case is clarified. He added that special protective measures have been taken for the care of the two children. He also mentioned that they are willing to travel to Iran if necessary to resolve this dispute. In an interview with VRT, he stated, 'What I am ready to do is to go to Iran immediately. However, I do not want this to create sensitivity and tension.' Shahab, the father of the girls, will face an international arrest warrant for refusing to hand over the two daughters to their divorced mother in Belgium after the vacation. Zahra, the girls' mother who lives in Liège, Belgium, has filed for custody of the two girls. Zahra told VRT, 'I have spoken to one of them on the phone; they have acted correctly. I am not aware of the rest of the story.' She previously stated in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, 'I am divorced, but my divorce has no legal standing in Iran. Furthermore, in Iran, a woman is not allowed to leave the country without her husband's permission.'
Fate of Two Iranian Teenage Girls Seeking Refuge at Belgian Embassy
Two Iranian girls have sought asylum at the Belgian embassy in Tehran after fleeing their father to live with their mother in Belgium. The situation may escalate into a diplomatic issue as the father faces an international arrest warrant for not returning the girls to their mother. This case highlights the complexities of custody and legal rights in Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Two Iranian girls sought asylum at the Belgian embassy in Tehran to live with their mother in Belgium, leading to a potential diplomatic issue. Their father faces an international arrest warrant for not returning them after a vacation.
- The girls hold dual Iranian and Belgian citizenship.
- The mother has filed for custody in Belgium, but her divorce is not recognized in Iran.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iranian law often places women at a disadvantage in custody disputes, and international custody cases can become diplomatic issues due to differing legal systems.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%