Diplomatic anger over secret burial

“Relations with Iran at all time low,” headlines Volkskrant in the wake of news that Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, currently on a mission in the Middle East, has recalled the Netherlands’ ambassador to Tehran. Following the secret execution of Dutch citizen Zahra Bahrami on 29 January, The Hague requested that her body be returned. On 6 February it emerged that “Bahrami had been buried at a secret location in Semnan, which is several hunded kilometres from Tehran. Her family [in Iran] were not informed of arrangements in time for them to assist at the burial.” According to the daily, the burial rapidly gave rise to rumours that Bahrami was not hanged but tortured to death. On 7 February, the Iranian ambassador did not respond to a request for a meeting in the Netherlands, while his Dutch counterpart was faced with closed doors in Tehran. Rosenthal has described the situation as “tense” and spoken of “abnormal” diplomatic relations “that typify the Iranian regime.”