Norway

Iranian diplomat granted asylum

The Iranian consul in Oslo who resigned from his post at the Iranian Embassy at the end of December, has now been granted political asylum in Norway, together with his family. The former consul,  Mohammad Reza Heydari, resigned from his position on January 7th in protest against his own government's use of violence against demonstrators in the streets, in which at least 8 people were killed and many arrested.

- It was the Iranian authorities' treatment of demonstrators around Christmas which made me realise that my conscience would not allow me to continue in my job, he said to public broadcaster NRK at the time.

Source: NRK/Rolleiv Solholm (Norway Post)