Iranian Nationals Among Victims of Italy Migrant Boat Capsize
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic in Rome has confirmed that Iranian nationals were among those who perished when a migrant sailboat capsized in the Mediterranean on June 16.
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic in Rome has confirmed that Iranian nationals were among those who perished when a migrant sailboat capsized in the Mediterranean on June 16.
Mitra Ghasem Karimi, whose brother and sister are among those missing, informed Iran International that the families of the others are independently attempting to hire helicopters to search for their relatives.
The vessel had departed from Turkey approximately eight days prior with around 75 individuals from Iran, Syria, and Iraq on board, according to reports from the UN refugee agency and other UN organizations.
The Italian coastguard has recovered 20 bodies from a weekend shipwreck in the Ionian Sea off the southern Italian coastline, with dozens more missing and presumed dead.
Survivors, according to the AP, recounted that the boat's engine caught fire overnight on Sunday, leading to its capsizing off the Italian coast.
The fatalities mark a total exceeding 800 individuals who have perished or gone missing and are presumed deceased while attempting to cross the central Mediterranean this year alone, amounting to an average of five deaths per day, according to reports from UN agencies.
Iranians, known for their extensive history of emigration, primarily since the 1979 revolution, represent a significant portion of migrants embarking on perilous journeys across the English Channel to reach the UK and across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
Dubbed "layette-gate" in 2022, Ghalibaf was embroiled in controversy when his wife, daughter, and son-in-law returned from a trip to Turkey with substantial excess luggage, reportedly including items such as a baby bed and stroller readily available in Tehran.
Critics levied accusations of hypocrisy against Ghalibaf, pointing out discrepancies between his public rhetoric advocating support for domestic products and patience during the country's worst economic crisis while simultaneously allowing his family to travel abroad to purchase luxury goods.
As her father now vies for the presidency in the upcoming June 28 elections, on Tuesday, his daughter Maryam made a televised attempt to clear her family's name, but instead, the public's outrage against Ghalibaf only intensified.
She admitted to her trip to Turkey but vehemently denied the purpose, stating, "I did travel to Turkey, but not to buy layette." In a bid to clear her father's name, she said, "They were unable to criticize him directly, so they fabricated falsehoods about his family."
The saga in 2022 was worsened after the revelation of a video from the 2017 presidential debates showing Ghalibaf admonishing a former minister for traveling to Italy to purchase baby clothes, asserting bleakly, "You think our economy will improve, but it never will!"
Civil activist Vahid Ashtari, who initially disclosed details of the trip, responded to Ghalibaf's daughter's appeal on Wednesday by sharing airport documents purportedly indicating they were carrying 294 kilograms of luggage.
“Mr. Ghalibaf's daughter said on TV that she went to Turkey, but not for shopping. Here is the image from the Meraj Airlines system that I am sharing for the first time. They should clarify what these 294 kilograms of baggage registered under her husband’s name contained - 20 packages and luggage!” Ashtari wrote on X.
In the interview, Ghalibaf’s daughter also stated that those who fabricated lies about her had been punished. However, Ashtari shared a document purportedly indicating his acquittal in the "layette-gate" case.
Meanwhile, the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency attempted to vindicate Ghalibaf in response to Ashtari's tweet by posting an image, purportedly released by Meraj Airlines, "refuting false rumors about the weight of Ghalibaf's family luggage" and indicating potential "judicial action against these allegations."
The combined weight of the luggage depicted in Tasnim's image for the family amounts to approximately 130 kilograms, a detail that prompted some users to argue that it is still a substantial amount.
It is not the first time Ghalibaf's daughter has been at the center of scandal. In 2016, the Memari News website, owned by prominent whistleblower Yashar Soltani, reported that Lavizan Park in Tehran had been closed for several days for her wedding celebration while her father was mayor of Tehran.
Memari News detailed how the municipal forces of Tehran's fourth district were on alert for the wedding, utilizing municipal resources to illuminate Lavizan Forest Park at the cost of local authorities.
In Tuesday's television interview, Ghalibaf's daughter also denied the allegations as false, stating, "These lies ruined our wedding celebration."
In 2019, Soltani was imprisoned for exposing financial corruption within the Tehran Municipality during Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's tenure and for revealing details about the wedding. Earlier this month, Soltani was rearrested for his reporting on corruption.
Back in 2022, a leaked audio file of IRGC commanders discussing extensive financial corruption involving Ghalibaf during his tenure as Tehran mayor also caused an uproar in Iran, reflecting the deep connections between the IRGC and the country's political echelons.
