TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that Armenian-Iranians have practiced altruism and devoted their lives to the country which is really praiseworthy.

“Our Armenian fellow countrymen have practiced altruism along with Muslims, and today they are ready for altruism and this is very praiseworthy,” Rouhani said as he visited the family of an Iranian Armenian who lost their son in defending the country.

The visit to the Alfred Gabri family took place on the New Year’s Eve, where Rouhani congratulated the family of the martyr on the new Christian year.

He said, “Your son practiced altruism on the path of [protecting] the country. It is not easy to [tolerate] loss of a child, but your son was martyred on the path of the homeland which make it tolerable.”

According to ISNA, Alfred Gabri was martyred by the Mujahedin Khalq Organization in 1991 in the western city of Gilan-e Gharb when he was 20 years old.

Vice-President for Martyrs and Veterans Affairs Hojatoleslam Val-Moslemin Shahidi accompanied Rouhani in the visit. A plaque of appreciation was given to the family of the martyr.

According to some reports, 300,000 – 370,000 Christians live in Iran.