Iran has criticised Austria for denying a visa to the head of its Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, preventing him from attending the annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
Tehran described the decision as a violation of its rights as a member of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, with Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, raising the issue during the agency’s general conference on Monday.
Najafi argued that blocking Eslami’s participation breached the rules governing access to IAEA meetings.
“By obstructing our full and effective participation, the denial of access contravenes both the letter and the spirit of the legal framework” governing attendance at meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Najafi told delegates.
The Iranian envoy also criticised Austria, which hosts the IAEA and several other United Nations organisations, saying the refusal to issue Eslami a visa violated its responsibilities as host country.
Najafi’s position was backed by Russia, with its ambassador to the UN organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, accusing Austria of failing to meet its obligations.
Ulyanov said Austria had “grossly violated” its responsibilities as the host nation of the IAEA.
He further accused Western countries of using visa restrictions against governments they consider unfriendly.
Western nations had “unleashed a genuine campaign of visa-related abuses so as to settle scores with countries they deem to be undesirable,” he said.
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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also condemned the decision, saying Tehran had formally protested Austria’s refusal to grant Eslami a visa.
Baghaei said Iran had summoned Austria’s chargé d’affaires over the matter, maintaining that Vienna was required to facilitate the attendance of Iranian officials at international meetings because of its role as host country.
Austria, however, said it was unable to grant Eslami entry because of an existing United Nations travel restriction.
According to Austria’s ambassador to the IAEA, Christian Ebner, Vienna had sought an exemption from the travel ban but the request was rejected by a United Nations Security Council committee.
“As a consequence, Austria was obliged to deny one member of the Iranian delegation the entry into its territory,” Ebner said.
Austria has the authority, as host of several international organisations, to seek exemptions from UN travel restrictions for sanctioned officials who need to attend international meetings held in Vienna.
The dispute over Eslami’s absence has added to tensions surrounding Iran’s participation in the IAEA, with Tehran maintaining that its officials should be allowed to take part fully in the agency’s proceedings.
