Report: Senior Iranian UN Diplomat in Geneva Defects, Seeks Asylum in Switzerland

Overview

• Alireza Jiranieh Hokambad, the minister-counselor in Iran’s Geneva mission, is reported to have left his post and applied for asylum for himself and his family.
• The account originates with Iran International and is relayed by i24 News and Algemeiner, citing fears of persecution if he returns to Iran.
• Sources quoted in the report link his decision to sustained political and social unrest in Iran and doubts about the regime’s stability.
• European sources reportedly say other Iranian diplomats have contacted authorities to explore asylum, and some governments are considering easing procedures for such cases.
• Hokambad has served in Geneva since 2017 representing Tehran in UN-linked economic bodies, and past protest waves in 2009 saw multiple Iranian diplomats in Europe resign and seek asylum.