A senior Iranian sports official said Wednesday that he has cancelled his visit to the United States for the "insulting behavior" of American security forces in Toronto Airport, reported the Iranian News Agency (IRNA).
"I was scheduled to attend a meeting of representatives of skiing federations from different countries in Salt Lake City of the United States," Farshid Alizadeh, deputy head of Iran's Skiing Federation told IRNA by phone from Toronto.
He said that the American security forces intended to fingerprint and photograph him, adding that he was kept in a "place for offenders" for nearly two hours.
"Due to the inappropriate behavior I made up my mind to leave the airport," Alizadeh said.
"It is regrettable that the Americans who call themselves supporter of human rights behave in this way," he told the agency.
"I won't go to the States unless the security forces promise not to fingerprint me."
Iran and the United States have been hostile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Ties were severed in 1980 after Islamist students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took its staff hostage.
In mid-February, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said the new US administration has the ball in its court and that it should now revamp its hostile policies toward Iran – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
