Anger in Tehran after Abduction of Son of Prominent Shirazi Cleric

Protesters rallied outside the Iranian embassy in London against the arrest of the son of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. (Getty Images)
Protesters rallied outside the Iranian embassy in London against the arrest of the son of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. (Getty Images)
TT

Anger in Tehran after Abduction of Son of Prominent Shirazi Cleric

Protesters rallied outside the Iranian embassy in London against the arrest of the son of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. (Getty Images)
Protesters rallied outside the Iranian embassy in London against the arrest of the son of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. (Getty Images)

Protests against Iranian authorities erupted in Kuwait, Iraq and London after Iranian intelligence attacked the convoy of prominent Shi’ite cleric Sadegh Hossein Shirazi and later arrested his son, Hossein, on Wednesday.

Clan leaders in Iraq, including the Bodrag clan, pleaded with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to release Hossein, accusing him with being behind his abduction.

Shirazi enjoys Shi’ite followers in the Gulf and Iraq’s Karbala, the place of origin of the Shirazi family. The Shirazis are one of the Shi’ite authorities that enjoy clout among Arab Shi’ites and they act in relative independence from Iranian powers and they have repeatedly been oppressed by Iranian authorities.

Iranian intelligence had in February summoned Hossein Shirazi after he gave a lecture to dozens of students about the Vilayet al-Faqih principle, which he linked to imposing a dictatorship under the pretext of religion.

He also compared Khamenei to ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, prompting authorities to order his arrest.

After a lengthy investigation, Hossein Shirazi was released, but arrested again on Wednesday.

Shirazi’s office said that an intelligence patrol had intercepted the cleric’s convoy, which was also escorting his son Hossein, as he was returning from his studies. The authorities arrested Hossein after humiliating and threatening to taser him.

The demeaning arrest angered Shirazi’s followers, prompting the protests.

A witness in London, said that one of the demonstrators tried to storm the Iranian embassy to condemn the arrest.

The Iranian foreign ministry acknowledged the protests in front of its embassy in London, refuting however claims that the building had been occupied.

A spokesman said that so-called assailants had only managed to climb the embassy’s balcony, calling on British police to perform their duties to protect Iranian diplomatic missions and arrest the attackers.

An aide at the foreign ministry filed a complaint to the British ambassador over the unrest.



UN COP16 Nature Summit Creates Permanent Body for Indigenous Peoples

FILE PHOTO: A Brazilian indigenous woman wears a feather headdress, during a press conference at the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), in Yumbo, Colombia October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Brazilian indigenous woman wears a feather headdress, during a press conference at the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), in Yumbo, Colombia October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
TT

UN COP16 Nature Summit Creates Permanent Body for Indigenous Peoples

FILE PHOTO: A Brazilian indigenous woman wears a feather headdress, during a press conference at the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), in Yumbo, Colombia October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Brazilian indigenous woman wears a feather headdress, during a press conference at the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), in Yumbo, Colombia October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo

Countries at the UN COP16 summit on nature on Friday approved a measure to create a permanent body for Indigenous peoples to consult on United Nations decisions about nature conservation.
The consultative body is considered a breakthrough in recognizing the role that Indigenous peoples play in conserving nature globally, including some of the most biodiverse areas of the planet, according to Indigenous and environmental advocates, reported Reuters.
Nearly 200 countries convened in the Columbian city of Cali aiming to implement the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreement, which aims to halt the rapid decline of nature by 2030.
The consultative body, which will also extend to local communities, will help to incorporate traditional knowledge and practices into conservation efforts.
Countries also adopted a measure that recognizes the role of people of African descent in caring for nature, which COP16 host Colombia said would grant such communities easier access to resources to fund their biodiversity projects and participate in global environmental discussions.
The measure's adoption was met with chants and singing by campaigners, as well as words of thanks from Colombia Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, who said the breakthrough was particularly important for Latin America and the Caribbean.
"Our territories, which cover much of the natural wealth of the planet, have also been home to people of African descent and Indigenous peoples whose sustainable practices are needed to face the environmental challenges that we all share today," Murillo said.
Earlier in the week, Armenia was announced as the host of COP17, which will be held in 2026.