Former Iranian diplomat asks Norway for political asylum

MOSCOW - A former Iranian consul to Norway, who resigned over the crackdown on opposition protesters by Tehran, has asked Norwegian authorities for political asylum, a media report said.

Mohammad Reza Heydari described the government’s response to the protest, as “force and brutality.” He resigned his diplomatic post in protest and remained in Norway.

“I understood that (my) conscience will not allow me to continue working,” he said.

The Norway Post newspaper said Thursday the former diplomat’s asylum request could remain under consideration for months.

Heydari currently lives in Norway’s capital Oslo together with his wife and two children. Tehran has asked him to return to Iran, but he has refused over fears of political persecution.

Iranian opposition protests began after reports that June presidential polls had been rigged in favour of Iran’s hardline leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Defeated candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi led the anti-government demonstrations. Over a dozen people were killed and some 300 people were arrested during the protests.

–RIA Novosti