Iran said on Monday that the detention of an Iranian citizen in Italy at the request of the United States amounted to hostage-taking, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was detained in Milan last month. He is wanted by the United States on suspicion of involvement in a drone attack on U.S. forces in Jordan.
Iran denies involvement.
His arrest is linked to the detention three days later of Italian reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran on December 19 while working on a regular journalist visa.
“We consider the persecution or extradition of Iranian citizens to some countries as a form of hostage-taking,“ Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters.
“The main charge against them is circumventing unilateral U.S. sanctions,“ he said in a televised news conference. "Fabricating a judicial cover-up to trap Iranian citizens is illegal, immoral and a violation of human rights."
Asked if Salah's detention was linked to Abedini's arrest in Italy, Baghai said: "These issues are not related in any way.“
Abedini was detained at Milan's Malpensa airport at the request of the United States for the alleged supply of parts for drones that Washington says were used in the 2023 attack that killed three American service members in Jordan.
Abedini is currently being held in prison and a court is due to decide this month whether to place him under house arrest while judges consider his extradition request to USA.