Tehran governor bans demonstrations opposite Saudi embassy

Director of Tehran Governor's Office of Political Affairs said any kind of protest gathering in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran is prohibited.

Mohammad Reza Yousefi said that groups wishing to hold demonstrations against Saudi Arabia will be allowed to gather only in a major square, IRNA News Agency reported on Sunday.

He said he has received four requests for protest gatherings from four university student organizations.

Based on what the Foreign Ministry has already announced, the official added, it is illegal to hold gatherings in front of the Saudi embassy so the Tehran Governor General's office has rejected requests for gatherings in the vicinity of the Saudi embassy building.

The Tehran province Governor General office has said there will be a protest gathering in Palestine Square in Tehran at 15:00 on Sunday.

Iran has stressed maintaining security of Saudi diplomats and buildings.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari underlined the need for maintaining the security of Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic places and sites in Tehran and Mashhad.

“The foreign ministry, by realizing the sentiments of the Muslim Iranians, called for preventing any gathering in front of Saudi diplomatic building in Iran,” Jaber Ansari said.

The foreign ministry spokesman renewed Iran’s condemnation of execution of religious scholar Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, but in the meantime said that security of Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic places should be maintained.

Source: MENA