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Friday, March 7, 2014

Polish Diplomat Slams Iran During Visit

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski visited Iran this past weekend, only to find that he was blocked from visiting the website of a major Polish newspaper due to Iran's extensive internet censorship laws.
This apparently didn't sit right with the official, who aired his grievances publicly during a press conference held in Tehran.

An excellent, if cringeworthy, clip from that speech has now been posted online by Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In it, Sikorski calls out Iran's censorship and poor human rights record while his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif glares peevishly a few feet away

The visit marked the first time in over ten years that a high ranking diplomat from Poland has visited Iran, part of Tehran's move to increase its diplomatic ties with the world. The trip was cut short soon after the conference, due to the crisis in Ukraine rather than any ill-will stemming from the minister's remarks.
Poland's government website speaks positively of Polish-Iranian relations and the meeting itself and also mentions Sikorski's speech. Iran's government website opted to omit that last part.

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