THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Foreign Ministry in Tehran says insulting dignitaries like French first lady is incorrect, not sanctioned
Iran on Tuesday sought to distance itself from harsh remarks by a hard-line newspaper, which called France's first lady a “prostitute” for condemning the stoning sentence against an Iranian woman convicted of adultery.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said insulting foreign dignitaries like Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is incorrect and not sanctioned by the government.
The Kayhan daily first called Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy a “prostitute” Saturday, repeating its criticism Tuesday with the addition that the French first lady also deserved to die.
In its first public comments on the affair, the French Foreign Ministry said it found the comments unacceptable and had brought the matter up with the Iranians.
“We are making known to Iranian authorities that the insults made by the Kayhan paper and picked up by several Iranian Internet sites regarding several French public personalities including Mrs. Sarkozy are unacceptable. We are passing that message through the normal diplomatic channels,” said spokesman Bernard Valero at a briefing Tuesday. >>> The Associated Press | Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Related articles here, here, and here
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Iranian media label Carla Bruni a ‘prostitute’ for stand against stoning: France’s first lady among those speaking out against woman’s death sentence >>> The associated Press | Monday, August 30, 2010
