Saudi embassy staffer must stand trial: Car crash victim’s family

The family of an Iranian driver killed by a Saudi Embassy staffer in Tehran have called for his punishment, Press TV reports. The family members of an Iranian driver who was killed in a car accident by a drunk Saudi Embassy employee in Tehran have called for the employee to stand trial under the Iranian law. A drunk employee of Saudi Arabia Embassy in Tehran killed an Iranian driver and wounded a passer-by in a fatal car accident in northeastern capital, Tehran, earlier this month. The Saudi staffer rammed his vehicle into the Iranian car before veering off the road. The Iranian driver was killed on the spot. “I’m very angry because no one from the Saudi Embassy in Tehran has even come to sympathize with us or express condolences to my children for the loss of their father. The Saudi Embassy staffer should be brought to justice so that foreign diplomats will not dare to be drunk or kill Iranian nationals without being punished in the future,” Mahboubeh Habibi, wife of the victim, told Press TV. Although medical evidence showed that the embassy staffer was drunk, Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied media reports that he had been drunk, saying, “It is untrue that he was intoxicated.” However, Iranian police have found four bottles of alcoholic beverage in the Saudi employee’s car. “I urge the Saudi government to freely cooperate with the Iranian officials and accept the mistake of their diplomat. We are not thinking of the blood money. What matters to us is that we will not allow our rights to be ignored,” Mohaddeseh Farahani, daughter of the victim said. Meanwhile, brother of the victim added, “If the Saudi officials are true Muslims, they should accept the reality. I want the right of my brother to be respected. We want the Saudi diplomat to be punished under the Iranian law. This is our right and we will never give it up.” On March 19, Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast mentioned violating Iranian laws, exceeding the speed limit, and driver’s intoxication as the causes of the deadly accident, saying Iran has strongly protested to the Saudi Embassy staffer’s behavior and has notified the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Tehran of its complaint.