Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that the Italian foreign ministry in Tehran has been ordered to take in wounded demonstrators. As I blogged yesterday, Agence France-Presse reported that many European embassies cannot take in asylum seekers. Neither can Canada. My colleague Mike Blanchfield is following the story from Ottawa. In the meantime, here is the latest (as of about 3 pm Monday afternoon) from the office of Lawrence Cannon, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs:
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the embassy of Canada in Tehran have been advised of the arrest of a Canadian journalist in Tehran, Iran. Consular officials are sending a diplomatic note to Iranian authorities in Tehran to demand immediate consular access to the Canadian journalist who is reported to have been arrested. We are calling in the Iranian Chargé d'Affaires to express our grave concerns about recent developments in Iran, as well as to underline our desire for immediate consular access to the Canadian who is reported to have been arrested. Due to the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed at this time.
Also please note that reports that the Canadian Embassy in Iran was turning away people seeking sanctuary are false. Embassy staff are making every attempt to ensure services provided, particular consular services, remain unaffected by the situation. To our knowledge, no embassies in Tehran have provided shelter to injured foreign nationals. We are aware of media reports that Italy may open its embassy to wounded protesters. We suggest you call the Government of Italy concerning its activities. The Canadian Embassy is not taking in protestors as it has no doctors or medical facilities to treat any injured people. Injured people need to seek proper medical treatment. Canada's Embassy is located in the centre of recent demonstrations. Due to the tense security in Tehran, the Embassy has at times closed early so that staff can return home safely before the public and democratic demonstrations begin.Canada continues to call for the protection of civilians and their rights.
As the Prime Minister recently stated, “We encourage those authorities to respect people's basic human rights and to move forward on democratic progress in that country.”
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, including the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, continues to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens in-person, on the phone and through email. In case of emergency consular assistance, Canadians should contact the Embassy of Canada in Tehran at 98 (21) 8152-0000 or DFAIT's Emergency Operations Centre by calling collect to 613-996-8885 or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca.
To note that Canada does not offer asylum to foreign nationals in its embassies abroad. However, in exceptional cases where an individual is in the embassy and seeks temporary refuge because of an immediate threat of injury or death, temporary safe haven has, in some instances and for humanitarian reasons, been provided. To date, the Canadian Embassy and Western embassies have not been asked to treat or shelter injured Iranian protestors.