Iran are demanding an apology from France for sending the country HIV infected blood supplies in the early 1990’s.
The then French Prime Minister, Laurent Fabius, is being asked to apologise to Iran by the Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi, ahead of his arrival to Iran next week.
The revelations come as Doctor and Journalist Anne-Marie Casteret revealed that France distributed the infected blood knowingly and willingly to haemophiliacs.
Sputniknews.com reports:
“Fabius should apologize to the Iranian nation for selling infected blood to Iran,” Boroujerdi said as quoted by FARS news agency.
In 1999, then-French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius, then-Social Affairs Minister Georgina Dufoix and then-Health Minister Edmond Herve were charged with manslaughter following an investigation into the scandal of tainted blood sales. Later, the French Court of Cassation acquitted Fabius and Dufoix. Herve was found guilty, but was never sentenced.
The French Foreign Minister is expected to arrive in Iran next week to discuss bilateral trade after a nuclear agreement ensuring a peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program was reached earlier this month.
According to FARS, many of the blood scandal victims’ relatives oppose Fabius’ visit, blaming him for the spread of AIDS in Iran.