Govt: Netherlands Has No Consular Access to Dutch Man Detained in Iran

General view of the canals at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier
General view of the canals at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier
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Govt: Netherlands Has No Consular Access to Dutch Man Detained in Iran

General view of the canals at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier
General view of the canals at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

The Netherlands said Wednesday it had no consular access to a Dutch man detained in Iran, where authorities say they have arrested dozens of foreigners in connection with mass protests.

"It is disappointing that, despite continuous pressure, the Iranian authorities have so far not granted consular access to this Dutch detainee," the Dutch government said in a letter to parliament.

Iran has repeatedly accused outside forces of stirring up widespread protests triggered by the death in custody of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman.

Mahsa Amini died three days after her arrest by the country's morality police for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women.

"Iran has not shared any evidence of the alleged foreign interference," AFP quoted the Dutch government as saying.

On Tuesday Iran's judiciary said it had arrested 40 foreigners during the two months of protests, accusing them of being "implicated in the recent riots".

It did not specify their nationalities, or when or where they were arrested.

In September, Iranian authorities announced the arrest of nine foreigners in connection with the protests, including someone from the Netherlands.



China’s Military Says It ‘Drove Away’ US Destroyer Near Scarborough Shoal 

The USS Higgins is docked in the northern Israeli city of Haifa September 6, 2009. (Reuters)
The USS Higgins is docked in the northern Israeli city of Haifa September 6, 2009. (Reuters)
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China’s Military Says It ‘Drove Away’ US Destroyer Near Scarborough Shoal 

The USS Higgins is docked in the northern Israeli city of Haifa September 6, 2009. (Reuters)
The USS Higgins is docked in the northern Israeli city of Haifa September 6, 2009. (Reuters)

China's military said on Wednesday it monitored and "drove away" a US destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the strategic busy waterway of the South China Sea.

The first known US military operation in at least six years within the shoal's waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of "dangerous maneuvers and unlawful interference" during a supply mission around the atoll.

In a statement, the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters "without approval of the Chinese government" on Wednesday.

"The US move seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea," it added, vowing to keep a "high alert at all times".

The US Indo-Pacific Command declined to comment, referring questions to the US Navy's 7th Fleet, which did not immediately respond. The US embassy in Beijing, the Chinese capital, also offered no immediate comment.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The United States regularly carries out "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea, challenging what it says are curbs on passage imposed by China and other claimants.

The Scarborough Shoal has been a major source of tension in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.

The actions of Chinese vessels in the shoal this week also resulted in a collision of two of them, Manila said, the first such known in the area.

China's coast guard said it had taken "necessary measures" to expel Philippine vessels from the waters.

In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled there was no basis in international law for Beijing's claims, based on its historic maps. China does not recognize that decision, however.