Iran locks horns with Germany

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TEHRAN, July 9 (UPI) -- Tehran has complained the alleged mistreatment of an Iranian diplomat in Germany was a violation of international regulations.

The Iranian government last week summoned German Ambassador to Tehran Bernd Erbel to protest the handling of an alleged assault case last week. Tehran said a member of its diplomatic staff in Germany was assaulted by an African assailant and later dealt with harshly by security officials.

Mohammad Ali Esfanani, a spokesman for a legal committee in the Iranian Parliament, said mistreatment of diplomats is a violation of international law.

"The personnel of a diplomatic mission enjoy immunity from the jurisdiction in a foreign country," he was quoted by Iran's state-funded broadcaster Press TV as saying. "The mistreatment of a member of the Iranian consulate by the German police in Frankfurt is in fact a violation of international regulations."

Tehran maintained the incident was the result of a smear campaign perpetrated by Iranian opposition group, The People's Mujahedin of Iran.

Iran has lashed out at some members of the international community for what it says is lopsided rhetoric regarding its nuclear program.

The latest talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- along with Germany ended in June in Moscow with few developments.