This week marks the 40th anniversary of the disappearance of four Iranian nationals with diplomatic status, during Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement that there are continued efforts to locate these individuals and criticized “the lack of cooperation on the part of the international community and human rights organizations to determine the fate of the abductees.”
The four men were arrested at a military checkpoint of the Lebanese Forces in northern Lebanon on July 4th, 1982. They were reportedly never seen again.
Among the abductees were Ahmad Motevasselian, a military attaché of the Iranian embassy in Beirut; Mohsen Moussavi, chargé d’affaires; Taghi Rastegar-Moghadam, an employee of the embassy; and photojournalist Kazem Akhavan, according to Al Arabiya.
Iranian officials continue to blame Israel for their disappearance, alluding to the alleged alliance with and arming of the Lebanese Forces by Israel during the civil war.
The Iranian foreign ministry has renewed its plea for international and human rights organizations to investigate their disappearances and any possible foul-play, specifically through the formation of a commission of inquiry.
Related: Families Of The Disappeared Commemorated 47 Years Of The Advent Of The Lebanese Civil War.
