Brazilian media identified the diplomat as Hekmatollah Ghorbani, 51, and said
he was the third-ranking official in the Iranian embassy in Brasilia. They
said he was married, with children, and had been in his post for two years.
The Iranian embassy defended the diplomat by issuing a statement saying the
groping allegations were the result of a “cultural misunderstanding”
and accusing the Brazilian media of bias.
But Brazil’s foreign ministry said it was looking into the case and taking
formal steps of notifying the Iranian mission.
On Tuesday, when asked to explain the “cultural misunderstanding”,
Mehmanparast replied: “On principle, we do not accept this person being
at a mixed-sex swimming pool, and it is considered a disciplinary violation
and therefore he was summoned home at once and we are reviewing his case.”
He added that the diplomat “will be dealt with according to the foreign
ministry’s disciplinary rules.”
In Iran, men and women of any age are not permitted to share swimming pools.
Iran’s officials and representatives are expected to follow Islamic rules
while abroad.
Source: AFP
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