DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO AUSTRIA: MISSING/DETAINED

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001648 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM PHUM IR AU SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO AUSTRIA: MISSING/DETAINED AMCITS IN IRAN REF: STATE 80300 Classified By: Acting Economic-Political Counselor Phillip R. Nelson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Acting EconPol Counselor met on June 13 with Ralph Scheide, the Head of the MFA's Middle East and Africa Division (A/S-level) to convey USG concerns (reftel) about the recent pattern of harassment of AmCits in Iran. Scheide expressed support for the USG position, adding that he had recently raised the case of Haleh Esfandiari with the Iranian Ambassador in Vienna. Scheide pointed out that there was an Austrian link to the Esfandiari case, as she had received her PhD from Vienna University and has several relatives who are Austrian citizens. According to Scheide, the EU was planning to deliver a demarche in Tehran to request the release of Esfandiari. Kilner