Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 20
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran's foreign ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham says that Tehran is pursuing the case of an Iranian citizen who died while under arrest in the Philippines.
Afkham said that Parviz Khaki was arrested in May 2012 and kept in a Manila prison upon the request of U.S. officials, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.
"The foreign ministry is in contact with Philippine officials, investigating the case," she stressed.
She added that the U.S. was seeking extradition of Khaki to America and severely pressed the Philippines officials over the issue.
"The U.S. administration, which presses other countries to provide for its illegitimate interests under the guise of human rights, once again prepared the ground for the arrest of the Iranian citizen in the Philippines in total disregard of all human rights principles," Afkham underlined.
Khaki died on Aug. 18 for unknown reasons but apparently due to improper conditions.
He was arrested by the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation(NBI) on the request of the U.S. Department of Justice after he was indicted in a U.S. court for being part of a conspiracy to smuggle to Iran about 20 tonnes of specialized steel "with nuclear applications" which were considered suitable for gas centrifuges used in uranium enrichment.
Khaki was indicted on six counts of fraud over his attempt to deliver the highly technical materials and nickel alloy to Iran.Records showed Khaki was also charged by the U.S. justice department with money laundering and violating U.S. laws with respect to the American embargo against Iran.
Khaki's extradition to the U.S. did not go through, however, after the Iranian Embassy filed a petition in Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 21 opposing his extradition.The Iranian remained in NBI custody while his extradition case was pending in the Manila court.