Iran summons British envoy to protest against alleged attacks on expatriate voters in the UK
- Britain’s ambassador to Iran Rob Macaire was summoned over disruptions in the voting process in cities including London and Birmingham
- Iranian media reported incidents, including the ‘beating of a female voter’ on the sidelines of the vote for Iranian citizens in Britain, the US and Australia
Iran summoned Britain’s ambassador on Saturday to protest what it said were violent incidents targeting its expatriates as they voted in presidential elections at polling stations set up in the UK.
A foreign ministry spokesman in the Islamic republic said such acts included the “beating” of a female voter.
The violence was perpetrated by “antirevolutionary, anti-democratic and terrorist elements insulting the voters and staff,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement.
Iranian media had reported several incidents on Friday on the sidelines of the vote organised for Iranian citizens abroad at sites in Britain, the United States, Australia and in other countries.
Iranian ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi was on Saturday declared the winner of the presidential race, on a voter turnout of 48.8 per cent, a record low for a presidential election in the Islamic republic.
Overseas based opposition groups had called for a boycott.