Iran protests to Swiss ambassador over Davos attack

Iran has made public details of a protest to Switzerland over a weekend attack on its delegation at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. Iranian exiles threw paint at the motorcade carrying Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi (pictured).

Iran has made public details of a protest to Switzerland over a weekend attack on its delegation attending the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. Switzerland has apologised for the incidents.

The Swiss ambassador to Teheran, Tim Guldimann, was summoned to the Iranian foreign ministry to receive a “strong protest over the insult to the delegation”, according to Iran’s official news agency.

“Iran demanded that the Swiss government investigate the case and take serious action against terrorist groups”, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Sympathisers of the Mujaheddin Khalq, the main opposition group in Iran, were involved in two incidents on Saturday in Davos.

In the first incident, they threw paint bombs at the motorcade carrying Iran’s foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi. Later in the day, they threw paint and rotten eggs at the central bank governor and an adviser to Kharrazi in the hall of their hotel. Iranian media reported the adviser had suffered an eye injury.

Four Iranians resident in Switzerland were arrested after the incidents, and security was immediately stepped up around the Iranian delegation.

The Swiss authorities expressed their regret over the incident on Monday at a meeting with the Iranian ambassador in Berne.

From staff and wire reports