A former Iranian diplomat says he resigned after 25 years working for the Foreign Ministry because he could no longer work with the government of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.
Abbolfaz Eslami told Radio Farda in an interview that he witnessed "many crimes" during his time as a diplomat. He said that after a fellow diplomat, Darvish Ranjbar, resigned and was subsequently arrested, Eslami decided to travel to Japan to announce his resignation there in 2006.
Eslami had served as a consul at the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo from 2001-2004.
After the resignation in early January of Mohammad Reza Heydari, the Iranian consul in Norway, Eslami said he began writing to his former colleagues at different embassies urging them to resign from their posts and join the opposition "Green Movement."
He said he hopes that one day he will have the chance to "disclose all the crimes of this regime."
On March 1, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast told Fars news agency that Heidari and Eslami are receiving orders from countries which are against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Eslami rejected that allegation, noting that the Iranian authorities regularly blame all opposition actions on the United States and Israel.
Abbolfaz Eslami told Radio Farda in an interview that he witnessed "many crimes" during his time as a diplomat. He said that after a fellow diplomat, Darvish Ranjbar, resigned and was subsequently arrested, Eslami decided to travel to Japan to announce his resignation there in 2006.
Eslami had served as a consul at the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo from 2001-2004.
After the resignation in early January of Mohammad Reza Heydari, the Iranian consul in Norway, Eslami said he began writing to his former colleagues at different embassies urging them to resign from their posts and join the opposition "Green Movement."
He said he hopes that one day he will have the chance to "disclose all the crimes of this regime."
On March 1, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast told Fars news agency that Heidari and Eslami are receiving orders from countries which are against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Eslami rejected that allegation, noting that the Iranian authorities regularly blame all opposition actions on the United States and Israel.
