Iran pursuing case of inmates in Saudi Arabia: Salehi

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says the ministry is pursuing the case of several Iranian nationals recently arrested in Saudi Arabia.

“We are negotiating With Saudi Arabia in this respect,” Salehi said on Monday, expressing hope that talks will bear fruit.

Salehi further announced that a senior foreign ministry official will travel to Saudi Arabia to pursue the fate of Iranian citizens in the kingdom’s jail.
On October 19, the Saudi media reported that the country’s border guards had arrested 14 Iranians for illegal entry into that country.

Earlier on April 18, Press TV reported that Saudi officials had executed eight Iranian sailors in the eastern city of Dammam without any legal proceedings.

The Iranian sailors were arrested on a fishing boat in international waters 70 miles off the coast of Saudi Arabia six years ago on false charges of drug possession.

On May 30, the Persian-language Tabnak news website reported that Saudi officials in Dammam had executed 10 more Iranian citizens.

The website added that a total of 25 Iranians are kept at the Dammam prison and 18 of them had been executed in two stages.

On June 30, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African affairs said Saudi Arabia had commuted the death sentences handed to six Iranian nationals and pardoned an inmate.