Monday, April 16, 2007

In "clear" violation of Geneva Convention, Iraqi Ambassador to Bulgaria transforms Embassy into "retail store"


"... A Bulgarian newspaper revealed that the Iraqi ambassador to Bulgaria
has been conducting illegal business by using the Iraqi embassy in Sofia as the
headquarters of his private retail company. Ambassador Haider Shiya’ Al-Barrak,
brother of former Governing Council member Ahmed Shiya’ Al-Barrak, and who was
nominated for the position by the United Iraqi Alliance, founded a retail trade
company named Babylon three months ago. Bulgarian authorities said the official
address of the company coincides with that of the Iraqi embassy in Sofia, and
that official registers indicate that a company office is registered to 8
Pozitano St., but there was no company by that name in that address, the
newspaper reported. The newspaper added that Al-Barrak met with customers and
merchants for business at his office in the Iraqi embassy. The Vienna Convention
on Diplomatic Relations regulates that diplomats are not authorized to carry out
business activities abroad..."

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