“The purposive trend of [promoting] Iranophobia in the United States has created conditions which make any travel by Iranians to that country precarious. Recalling previous warnings by [Iran’s] Foreign Ministry to that effect, the countrymen are recommended to avoid unnecessary travels to this country, and if they do travel, show maximum degree of caution,” Ramin Mehmanparast said on Monday.
He dismissed as unacceptable the “unconventional five-hour interrogation and inhumane treatment” of an elderly Iranian, Dariush Sarreshteh-Dar, at Washington Dulles International Airport last month.
Mehmanparast called on relevant US officials and organizations to look for the precise cause of this incident and seriously deal with any fault or oversight.
He stated that Iranian Foreign Ministry would follow up on any developments regarding the death of the Iranian citizen.
Dariush Sarreshteh-Dar and his wife were detained by the Customs and Border Protection at Dulles International Airport and interrogated for five hours on the US election night on November 6.
Sarreshteh-Dar suffered a sudden heart attack two days later and died on the same day. His family believes that the harsh and forceful interrogation by the customs officers was the reason for his heart attack and is considering filing a lawsuit against the customs office.
Theodore Koumelis