Family of Abbas Yazasanpanah Yazdi fear he is dead following claims he was kidnapped by Iranian intelligence officerIran-linked agents in Dubai.
Counter-terrorism officers from Scotland Yard have been called
in to investigate the abduction of a British citizen who is feared to
have been killed by
Sources close to the family of Abbas Yazasanpanah Yazdi, 44, say his body has been found elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates.
Yazdi, a father of two and naturalised British national, was last seen on the afternoon of 25 June leaving his office in Bur Dubai, the commercial heart of the thriving Gulf state.
Concerns about his safety had reached senior ministerial level. Last week the foreign secretary, William Hague, raised Yazdi's disappearance when he spoke by telephone to his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Salehi.
At the time a government official was quoted as saying: "We believe that allegations that elements in Iran might be responsible for Mr Yazdi's disappearance are plausible, and we are taking them very seriously."
Officers from Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, SO15, have been involved in the investigation into Yazdi's whereabouts.
Yazdi's body was reported to have been found in Fujairah, one of the UAE's seven emirates on the coastline of the Gulf of Oman. Ali Reza Nourizadeh, a close friend of his family and the director of the Centre for Arab and Iranian studies in London, said the family were informed on Monday about his death. "Yazdi's wife, Atena, and the whole family is devastated by the news," he told the Guardian.
Following Hague's phone call, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Abbas Araghchi, told reporters in Tehran that it had been informed about the issue through media reports and was investigating the details of his case. "The Islamic republic of Iran denies that it was involved in any illegal act in Dubai or any other countries," he said on Sunday.
Yazdi is believed to hold dual British and Iranian nationality. He is understood to have spoken to two MPs in London in the weeks before his disappearance.
Yazdi had just finished giving evidence by video link to a long-running international arbitration tribunal in The Hague involving United Arab Emirates-based Crescent Petroleum and the National Iranian Oil Company when he went missing. There is no suggestion that this involvement in the arbitration is connected to his disappearance.
Yazdi had been due to return to complete his testimony the following day. He never reappeared. His wife feared he had been kidnapped by Iranian intelligence officers and taken to Iran.
Yazdi had privileged access to certain Iranian politicians. A close childhood friend was Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, son of former president Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who lived in Britain for three years after 2009.
Atena Yazdi told the 7Days website in the UAE at the time: "If he is still in the UAE I'm sure the police can find him. If he's in Iran, it's completely different. I hope and pray for his safety." Mrs Yazdi moved back to Britain after he disappeared.
The UK's Serious Fraud Office has been co-operating with Iran's State General Inspection Organisation (SGIO) which was seeking information about him, even though the UK does not have diplomatic relations with Iran. Formal ties between the two countries were suspended in November 2011.
Among details handed over by the SFO to Tehran were the contents of Yazdi's online contacts book. Documents seen by the Guardian show that Iranian officials were told: "We located an Excel file of addresses in Mr Yazdi's computer. A copy of the spreadsheet is attached marked 'Address Book'."
Asked why such details were given to Tehran, a spokesperson for the SFO said: "We can neither confirm nor deny SFO interest in this matter. Requests for international assistance are usually dealt with by the Home Office, UK Central Authority, which is overseen by the secretary of state."
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said: "We can confirm that SO15 counter-terrorism command is investigating the disappearance of Abbas Yazasanpanah Yazdi, aged 44 years, on the 25 June in Dubai. We are providing family liaison support at this time. Inquiries continue.
"The Met police's counter-terrorism command on occasion assists with complex investigations which have an international element as they have the most appropriate investigative expertise."
On Thursday, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are concerned by the reports [of his death] and are following up with the Emiratis who are leading the investigation into his disappearance. It would not be appropriate to speculate."
Sources close to the family of Abbas Yazasanpanah Yazdi, 44, say his body has been found elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates.
Yazdi, a father of two and naturalised British national, was last seen on the afternoon of 25 June leaving his office in Bur Dubai, the commercial heart of the thriving Gulf state.
Concerns about his safety had reached senior ministerial level. Last week the foreign secretary, William Hague, raised Yazdi's disappearance when he spoke by telephone to his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Salehi.
At the time a government official was quoted as saying: "We believe that allegations that elements in Iran might be responsible for Mr Yazdi's disappearance are plausible, and we are taking them very seriously."
Officers from Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, SO15, have been involved in the investigation into Yazdi's whereabouts.
Yazdi's body was reported to have been found in Fujairah, one of the UAE's seven emirates on the coastline of the Gulf of Oman. Ali Reza Nourizadeh, a close friend of his family and the director of the Centre for Arab and Iranian studies in London, said the family were informed on Monday about his death. "Yazdi's wife, Atena, and the whole family is devastated by the news," he told the Guardian.
Following Hague's phone call, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Abbas Araghchi, told reporters in Tehran that it had been informed about the issue through media reports and was investigating the details of his case. "The Islamic republic of Iran denies that it was involved in any illegal act in Dubai or any other countries," he said on Sunday.
Yazdi is believed to hold dual British and Iranian nationality. He is understood to have spoken to two MPs in London in the weeks before his disappearance.
Yazdi had just finished giving evidence by video link to a long-running international arbitration tribunal in The Hague involving United Arab Emirates-based Crescent Petroleum and the National Iranian Oil Company when he went missing. There is no suggestion that this involvement in the arbitration is connected to his disappearance.
Yazdi had been due to return to complete his testimony the following day. He never reappeared. His wife feared he had been kidnapped by Iranian intelligence officers and taken to Iran.
Yazdi had privileged access to certain Iranian politicians. A close childhood friend was Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, son of former president Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who lived in Britain for three years after 2009.
Atena Yazdi told the 7Days website in the UAE at the time: "If he is still in the UAE I'm sure the police can find him. If he's in Iran, it's completely different. I hope and pray for his safety." Mrs Yazdi moved back to Britain after he disappeared.
The UK's Serious Fraud Office has been co-operating with Iran's State General Inspection Organisation (SGIO) which was seeking information about him, even though the UK does not have diplomatic relations with Iran. Formal ties between the two countries were suspended in November 2011.
Among details handed over by the SFO to Tehran were the contents of Yazdi's online contacts book. Documents seen by the Guardian show that Iranian officials were told: "We located an Excel file of addresses in Mr Yazdi's computer. A copy of the spreadsheet is attached marked 'Address Book'."
Asked why such details were given to Tehran, a spokesperson for the SFO said: "We can neither confirm nor deny SFO interest in this matter. Requests for international assistance are usually dealt with by the Home Office, UK Central Authority, which is overseen by the secretary of state."
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said: "We can confirm that SO15 counter-terrorism command is investigating the disappearance of Abbas Yazasanpanah Yazdi, aged 44 years, on the 25 June in Dubai. We are providing family liaison support at this time. Inquiries continue.
"The Met police's counter-terrorism command on occasion assists with complex investigations which have an international element as they have the most appropriate investigative expertise."
On Thursday, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are concerned by the reports [of his death] and are following up with the Emiratis who are leading the investigation into his disappearance. It would not be appropriate to speculate."
متاسفم برای جان یک انسان که در حکومت اسلامی ایران ارزش ندارد! به قول آقای نوریزاده که گفتند مافیای حسین طائب میخواست با خون عباسِ یزدانپناه یزدی به دولت آقای روحانی خوشامد بگوید!
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