Robert Macaire (diplomat)

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Macaire was arrested on 11 January 2020 during protests in Tehran about the shooting down of Flight 752 to Ukraine, but released shortly afterwards. [11] [12] In reaction, the FCO described his arrest as "a flagrant violation of international law", and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab suggested that Iran was engaged in a "march to pariah status". [13] Macaire maintained he did not attend a protest, but a vigil for victims of the plane crash and noted that "arresting diplomats is of course illegal". [14]

Iranian judges called on the government to expel Macaire by declaring him persona non grata as placards and cutouts of him were burnt, and protesters chanting 'Death to the UK' outside the British Embassy in the capital Tehran. [15] [16] This is not thought to be a formal declaration and so does not have any legal standing with regard to his diplomatic status. [16]

Personal life

Macaire was educated at Cranleigh School and won an Exhibition to St Edmund Hall, Oxford (MA Modern History). In 1996, he married Alice (née Mackenzie). While they were stationed in Kenya, Alice founded and chaired the initiative which resulted in the transformation of the Karura Forest. [17] They have two daughters. [10]

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References

  1. "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Iran: Rob Macaire". GOV.UK.
  2. 1 2 "UK changes ambassador to Tehran". Mehr News Agency. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  3. The Diplomatic Service List. Stationery Office. 12 January 2004. ISBN   9780115917783 via Google Books.
  4. "Home Affairs Committee Press Release". UK Parliament.
  5. "UK piles pressure for Gichuru, Okemo extradition". Daily Nation. 3 July 2020.
  6. "Envoys demand answers on graft in Kenya". Daily Nation. 3 July 2020.
  7. "20 Kenyans banned from going to UK". Daily Nation. 3 July 2020.
  8. "Envoy's high point was referendum results". Daily Nation. 3 July 2020.
  9. "Britain rules out paying ransom to pirates". Daily Nation.
  10. 1 2 "Rob Macaire CMG". gov.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  11. Claire Corkery (12 January 2020). "UK ambassador to Iran arrested - British government". The National . Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  12. "British ambassador Rob Macaire briefly arrested at Tehran protest". BNO News . 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  13. "Iran plane crash: UK ambassador arrested in Tehran". BBC News . 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  14. Wintour, Patrick (12 January 2020). "UK ambassador to Iran denies he joined Tehran street protests". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  15. "Protesters chant "Death to England" outside UK embassy in Iran". LBC. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  16. 1 2 Safi, Michael (14 January 2020). "Iran calls for expulsion of UK ambassador as arrests made over plane crash". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  17. "From battlefield to picnic site". The Standard.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Robert Macaire (diplomat) at Wikimedia Commons

Robert Macaire
CMG
Robert Macaire (diplomat).jpg
Macaire in 2018
British Ambassador to Iran
In office
14 March 2018 [1]  August 2021
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British High Commissioner to Kenya
2008–2011
Succeeded by
Peter Harris Tibber
Preceded by British Ambassador to Iran
2018–2021
Succeeded by