Tehran, April 21: Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has condemned the assassination of Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni in the Gaza Strip.
Mehmanparast said Thursday that such actions by extremist forces “run counter to the cause and the interests of the Palestinian nation.”
On April 14, Arrigoni was found hanged in an abandoned house north of Gaza City hours after being abducted by a radical group.
On the same day, a radical group calling itself Monotheism and Holy War posted a video on YouTube, showing Arrigoni blindfolded, threatening to execute the Italian activist by 1400 GMT on April 15, unless Hamas frees several members of the group, including their leader, Sheikh Abu Walid al-Maqdasi.
According to the Hamas interior ministry, Arrigoni was killed even before the given deadline and soon after being abducted.
Despite the existence of the video, the group released a statement on Friday, denying involvement in Arrigoni’s death.
Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza attended a protest rally, condemning Arrigoni’s killing.
—–Agencies