Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 1
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
Germany will issue visas to Iranian athletes after getting a written undertaking not to grant asylum, the Iranian news agency Fars reported Dec. 1.
In its letter, the German embassy in Tehran appealed to all sports federations of the country after the member of the Karate Federation of Iran Morteza Salimi applied for asylum in Germany.
The embassy said that henceforth, the visas to Iranian athletes willing to participate in the competitions held in Germany, will be issued after getting a written undertaking not to grant asylum, the agency said.
Germany has not confirmed the information yet.
Salimi as part of the national team went to the competition to Germany but did not return to Iran. His car was impounded at the Tehran airport. The federation intends to confiscate the car.
Starting from the 1980s up until now Germany provided Iranian athletes with asylum in different years. This process has been accelerated. Iranian athletes continue their career in various German clubs.
Judokas Mohsen Ghaffari, Vahid Sarlak, karate fighter Jafar Qolizadeh, taekwondo player Reza Allahdad, members of the national rowing team - sisters Tina and Tara, fighters - brothers Eyyub and Teyyub Azmude, Abbasqulu Germistani, Ali Afkar, Murtaza Jafarnijad, Farhad Sohrabi, etc. are among them.
edited by CN