TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Foreign Ministry blamed the US for the death of an Iranian national in a prison in Manila, the Philippines, saying Parviz Khaki had been jailed after Washington raised baseless accusations against him.
"The US which pressures other countries under slogans about the violation of human rights in a move to achieve its illegitimate interests, while it holds no real belief in human rights principles, had cause the detention of an Iranian national in the Philippines by raising baseless accusations against him, which unfortunately led to the death of this Iranian citizen abroad," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said on Wednesday.
She said that Parviz Khaki was arrested by the Philippines officials 27 months ago upon a demand by the US for unknown reasons and passed away in undesirable conditions in one of the detention centers in Manila.
"Based on the received information, the US administration had called on the Filipino judiciary officials to extradite this Iranian citizen (to the US) and laid much pressure on them in this regard," Afkham said.
She said that the Iranian foreign ministry is pursuing the case through contacts with relevant Filipino officials.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry's diplomatic affairs office had also earlier today underlined that the US administration and the Philippines' judiciary should be held accountable for the suspicious death of the Iranian national in the Manila jail.