Abducted Iranian case discloses US lies: FM

Tehran, June 29, IRNA – Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that the case of the kidnapped Iranian national has revealed US lies.

Mottaki made the remarks during a press conference at IRNA headquarters at the end of his visit to Iran's official news agency.

Iran was following up the fate of the Iranian pilgrim, Shahram Amiri, from Saudi and US officials through the Iranian embassy in Saudi Arabia and through the United Nations and other related bodies.

Amiri was disappeared in May 2009 after he arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform his Minor Hajj rituals.

It became later clear that he was abducted in a joint operation carried out by the US and Saudi security services.

In a video clip aired on Iran TV channels earlier in June, Amiri said he was now in the US and that he had been kidnapped by US agents en route to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia in June 2009.

"Revealing that Amiri is currently in the US has proven how easily the US was lying when it said it had no idea of his situation," Mottaki said referring to the falsehood of the US claim that it was not informed of the Iranian national’s situation.

“We wish that our fellow citizen be back home safe and would continue our efforts to this end,” Mottaki stressed./end