Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 25
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
Seizure and delivering Iran's property in the US as compensation for former 53 hostage diplomats is baseless, Iran's foreign ministry said, IRNA reported Dec.25.
A spending bill that the US Congress passed last week granted $4.4 million for each of the 53 former hostages or their estate, the New York Times reported December 24.
US diplomats and embassy staff who were held hostage in Tehran for 444 days following the 1979 revolution have won compensation after 36 years.
Spokesman of Iran Foreign Ministry Hossein Jaber Ansari said a recent attempt by the US Supreme Court to confiscate Iran's property is the latest step in a case raised in 2007 against Iran which is contrary to international law principles and lacks any legal validity.
“For years, the US judiciary supported by government and congress has been issuing and enforcing illegal verdicts against Iran by violating basic principles of international law and resorting to fictitious and unfounded allegations,” he said.
“Some courts in the US are ridiculing the justice and law and in recent years have sentenced Iran to pay compensation to the victims of incidents which were carried out by terrorist acts of recognized nationals of US allies,” he added, commenting on the US move to seize a section of Central Bank of Iran's possessions.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran announces explicitly that these rulings which are not based on legal and international principles will not create any right for US citizens and that by stealing the property of the Islamic Republic of Iran and of its institutions and nationals, the US government will bear the responsibility of making for the damage and paying the compensation,” he said.
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