Shahram Amiri, an Iranian nuclear scientist who was allegedly nabbed by the US, has suddenly reappeared and sought asylum at the Pakistani Embassy's Iranian interests section in Washington.
The scientist sought safe return to Iran, Pakistani authorities said on Tuesday. Amiri was working as a researcher at Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. He had disappeared during a tour of Saudi Arabia last year. Iran's Tehran Times claimed that the scientist was abducted by the US. Amiri appeared at the Iranian interests section office at 6:30 p.m. Monday, confirmed Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit.
According to officials, Amiri chose to approach the Pakistani embassy as Tehran and Washington do not have diplomatic ties and that the embassy serves as host for the Iranian interests section. The section even issue visas for travel to Iran and other consular services for Iranians in the US. Basit, meanwhile, told the media that Mustafa Rahmani, head of the Iranian interests section, "is making arrangements for [Amiri's] repatriation back to Iran." He also disclosed that neither Iranian or US government had contacted Pakistani embassy officials over Amiri's detention.
Amiri of late had been appearing in series of bizarre and contradictory videos on the Internet. In one of the videos, Amiri claimed that he was kidnapped by the US, while in another video he said that he was in the US for studies. ABC television reported in March that, after abandoning Iran, Amiri was helping the CIA to dent Iran's nuclear program. Timing of Amiri's mysterious disappearance clashed with the row between Iran and the West over Tehran's controversial nuclear program. Though Iran says its nuclear programs are for peaceful purposes, West suspect the Islamic Republic is developing nuclear weapons.
