Iran's Foreign Ministry: We Only Demand the Execution of Jeddah Airport Officials

Hassan Qashqavi, the Consular Deputy of Iran's Foreign Ministry, stated that the prosecutor in Jeddah has requested the issuance of a "death sentence" for "two errant" airport officials. He mentioned that if a "different ruling" is issued, the Islamic Republic will appeal the decision. In an interview with Al-Alam television, parts of which were published by Mehr News Agency on Monday, July 1, Qashqavi noted that "in the first trial session, the Iranian consul was present, and the representative of the Jeddah prosecutor read the indictment, which requested the death penalty for the defendants on charges of violating laws during duty and committing a heinous criminal act." The Consular Deputy added that "in the second court session, where the Iranian consul was also present, the court heard the defenses of the defendants and their lawyers and announced the end of the session." It had previously been reported that the two defendants had been sentenced to four years in prison and 1,000 lashes for sexually assaulting two Iranian teenage pilgrims at Jeddah airport. However, Qashqavi expressed ignorance about this ruling, stating that "after following up, the Iranian consul said that nothing had been officially communicated to them." The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister reported on April 6 that during the second week of the Nowruz holidays, while inspecting an Iranian Umrah caravan, Jeddah airport officials separated two Iranian teenagers from the rest, claiming to suspect them, and subjected them to sexual harassment. While some officials and many media outlets and social media users reported that the two teenagers were "raped," a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly stated that their family emphasized in a meeting that no rape occurred, but rather it was more about harassment and disrespect. Nevertheless, Hassan Qashqavi emphasized: "In our opinion, the indictment presented by the prosecutor {requesting execution} is realistic, and anything less than that is unjust in relation to the depth of the crime." In another part of his remarks, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister stated that "ensuring the safety of Umrah pilgrims and creating a logical and reasonable atmosphere for the entry and exit of Iranian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia is the most important condition of the Islamic Republic for the resumption of Umrah trips." Following the incident involving the two Iranian teenagers in Jeddah, the Islamic Republic announced that it would suspend sending pilgrims for Umrah until the trial and punishment of the perpetrators. Qashqavi stated that "if security is guaranteed and a logical and reasonable atmosphere prevails, and people witness the punishment of the defendants, it is natural that we would also be inclined to resume Umrah."