Rasoul Mousavi, Director General of South Asian Affairs at Iran's Foreign Ministry, stated that no official or institution in the Islamic Republic endorses xenophobia, labelling it a "foreign project”.
Mousavi stressed that, like Iranian citizens, foreign nationals in Iran are also expected to adhere to the country’s laws and regulations.
In a post on the X social media platform, Mousavi wrote that xenophobia is not supported by any official or institution in Iran, as it goes against the "Islamic tradition of brotherhood and the culture of hospitality”.
His comments appear to be in response to the widespread backlash following reports of an Afghan teenager being tortured by the Iranian police. Mousavi is the first official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address these criticisms. However, he did not provide details on why the police used force against the Afghan teenager.
Furthermore, Mousavi did not clarify the charges against the Afghan teenager or whether the police officer involved in the violent incident would face legal consequences.
The recent release of a video showing the torture of 16-year-old Afghan migrant Sayed Mahdi by police in Damavand County has sparked widespread outrage. In the video, one Iranian police officer is seen restraining Mahdi’s arms and legs while another officer presses his knee on the teenager's neck. Mahdi’s mother can be heard pleading with the officers to release her son.
On Thursday, Mahdi’s family released a video calling for an investigation into the mistreatment of their son by Iranian police.
