The Iranian foreign ministry has summoned the Swiss ambassador in response to what they perceive as Switzerland’s interference in Iran’s internal affairs, as reported by YJC.ir, a website affiliated with Iran’s state television.
The Swiss embassy in Iran posted a tweet condemning the execution of three individuals connected to protests that took place in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini.
Amini, a young Kurdish woman, was arrested for violating the country’s dress code and her family claims she was a victim of police aggression prior to her death.
The Iranian foreign ministry accused the Swiss embassy of engaging in an unconventional and unprofessional act by reposting a photo featuring a misrepresented flag of Iran.
The embassy’s tweet included an image of people holding up a portrait of Amini alongside a pre-1979 revolution Iranian flag, featuring a lion in the center.
Within the tweet, the embassy expressed Switzerland’s call for Iran to cease these executions and take measures to decrease the use of the death penalty.
The message regarding Switzerland’s stance on the protests in Iran was published in English, French, and German on the social media accounts of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). It referred to a webpage on the FDFA website that presented Switzerland’s position.
During the meeting, the Swiss ambassador was informed about the Iranian authorities’ dissatisfaction and was reminded that such behavior is not in line with the friendly relations maintained between Iran and Switzerland, as stated in the official statement.
In a separate incident, Ambassador Lozano faced criticism in February for wearing a chador, a full-body Islamic garment, during her visit to a Shiite holy city in Iran.
Some observers interpreted this clothing choice as a show of support for the Iranian regime. However, the foreign ministry dismissed these criticisms.
Switzerland has held a special status with Iran for many years, and it maintains five protecting power mandates with Iran out of its seven total worldwide.
Since the severing of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Washington in 1980, the Swiss government has been representing US interests in Iran.
