'Iran trial' for UK embassy staff

FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009
Search term Explore the BBC BBC News Updated every minute of every day One-Minute World News
News Front Page Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK Business Health Science & Environment Technology Entertainment Also in the news ----------------- Video and Audio ----------------- Advertisement Have Your Say In Pictures Country Profiles Special Reports Related BBC sites

• Sport
• Weather
• On This Day
• Editors' Blog
• BBC World Service

Languages

• Arabic
• Persian
• Pashto
• Turkish
• French
• More

Page last updated at 12:59 GMT, Friday, 3 July 2009 13:59 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News, London

Anti-British protests have been held outside the UK embassy in Tehran

Some UK embassy staff detained in Tehran and accused of inciting protests after disputed elections will face trial, a top Iranian cleric says. Guardians Council chief Ahmad Jannati said: "Naturally they will be put on trial, they have made confessions."
Nine embassy staff were held in Tehran last weekend. Britain says all but two have now been freed.
EU governments are to summon Iranian ambassadors to protest against the detention of the embassy staff.
An EU official told the BBC that, in addition, visas for Iranians holding Iranian diplomatic passports would be suspended.
The officials said other measures, including the withdrawal of EU ambassadors from Iran, would be considered if the remaining two British embassy staff were not released.

After the election, the enemy could not stand people's joy and made an effort to poison the people
Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati Britain and Iran's fraught history Protests gripped Tehran and other Iranian cities after June's presidential election, amid claims the vote had been rigged in favour of the incumbent, President Mahmoud AhmadinejadMahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The Guardians Council - Iran's supreme legislative body, which Ayatollah Jannati heads - on Monday ratified the disputed result, following a partial recount.
'Velvet revolution' plan
Ayatollah Jannati did not say how many employees would be tried or on what charges.
"In these incidents, their embassy had a presence, some people were arrested," he told the thousands of worshippers at Friday prayers, according to news agencies.
Ayatollah Jannati said on Friday: "After the election, the enemy could not stand people's joy. The enemy made an effort to poison the people. They had planned a velvet revolution before the election."
He said the UK Foreign Office had warned of possible "street riots" around the 12 June election and had advised its nationals to avoid public places.
BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says Ayatollah Jannati's speech marks a significant deterioration in the already bad relationship between London and Tehran.
Claims 'without foundation'
Tehran has repeatedly accused foreign powers - especially Britain and the US - of stoking unrest after the election.
Britain has protested strongly against the arrests and rejected the Iranian allegations as baseless.

IRAN UNREST 12 June presidential election saw incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected with 63% of vote Main challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi called for result to be annulled for electoral fraud Street protests saw at least 17 people killed and foreign media restricted Your questions answered Q&A: Election aftermath How Iran is ruled Who's who in Iran Send us your comments In the fallout from the crisis, Tehran expelled two British diplomats and the UK responded with a similar measure.
"We are very concerned by these reports and are investigating. Allegations that our staff were involved in fomenting unrest are wholly without foundation," a British foreign office statement said on Friday.
Five of the nine employees were reportedly released on Monday and Iranian state media said on Wednesday it had freed three more, but British and EU officials say two remain in custody.
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported this week that one of the detainees had played a "remarkable role during the recent unrest in managing it behind the scenes".
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali KhameneiAyatollah Ali Khamenei, last month described Britain, as the "most evil" of its enemies.
Library ballot boxes
Meanwhile, the governor of one of Iran's biggest cities, Shiraz, has denied reports that a number of sealed ballot boxes in its main library contained votes from last month's election.
Ebrahim Azizi said the boxes were from previous polls and that the interior ministry had ordered they be archived there.
Earlier this week, an Iranian journalist posted pictures on the internet of several ballot boxes sitting on the floor of the library.
Historians say the distrust between the UK and Iran stems from the 1800s, when Iran - then Persia - was forced to concede territory to Russia in a treaty drafted by a British diplomat.
In more modern times, British operatives backed a CIA-organised coup in 1953 against an elected Iranian government.
In 2007, Iran seized 15 British navy personnel on patrol in waters between Iraq and Iran and held them for 12 days, during which time they were paraded on national television.
Britain is also among the most vocal opponents of Iran's nuclear programme, saying its aim is to develop atomic weapons, a claim denied by Tehran.


Bookmark with:

• Delicious
• Digg
• reddit
• Facebook
• StumbleUpon

What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version Print Sponsor
Ads by Google How To Defend Yourself
Discover What The Martial Artists And The Army Don't Want You To Know
www.CloseCombatTraining.com Undercover Spy News
Join free spy club: Get latest on spies and terrorists in our midst.
dangordonspyclub.com Counterterrorism
Learn about counterterrorism & earn an online degree. Apply to AMU!
www.apus.edu Advertisement
IRAN CRISIS
KEY STORIES 'Iran trial' for UK embassy staff Iran views: Quiet but not normal Iran 'lifts block on SMS texting' Iran leader cancels Africa visit Iran 'disqualifies' EU from talks FEATURES AND ANALYSIS Eerie calm
Security forces may have left the streets, Jeremy Bowen finds, but unease remains
Your questions answered Iranian protests - the first clash Britain and Iran's fraught history Viewpoints: What next for Iran? Mapping the protests in Tehran Iran: Where did all the votes come from? BACKGROUND How Iran is ruled Who's who in Iran Q&A: Election aftermath Iran: facts and figures Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Profile: Mir Hossein Mousavi Iran in maps Timeline VIDEO AND AUDIO Amateurs key to Iran reporting

Iranian TV on UK embassy arrests

Iran attacks Obama 'interference'

Aftermath of raids in Iran

HAVE YOUR SAY What next for Iran? BBC LINKS BBC Persian.com RELATED INTERNET LINKS British Foreign and Commonwealth Office The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
FROM OTHER NEWS SITES National Post Iranian UK embassy staff may face trial - 27 mins ago Observer EU warns Iran not to put UK embassy staff on trial - 28 mins ago ONE News Iran UK embassy staff may face trial - 45 mins ago Guardian Unlimited Detained Iranian British embassy employees to face trial, cleric says - 1 hr ago AFP via Yahoo! British embassy staff to face trial: Iran cleric - 2 hrs ago About these results TOP MIDDLE EAST STORIES 'Iran trial' for UK embassy staff Gaza girl killed in border clash US vice-president in Iraq talks | News feeds

MOST POPULAR STORIES NOW

• SHARED
• READ
• WATCHED/LISTENED

• Billions stolen in online robbery
• 'Iran trial' for UK embassy staff
• Rai star jailed for abortion bid
• MP's cuckold sign shocks Portugal
• Body may have lain for five years
• North Korea launches beer advert
• Weekly world news quiz
• 'Fighter influx' for Somali group
• WHO warns swine flu 'unstoppable'
• Missing cat turns up on TV show

Most popular now, in detail FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS POSTED BY BIODUNIGINLA AT 3:13 PM LABELS: BBC NEWS BIODUN IGINLA, BBC NEWS. IRAN, BRITISH EMBASSY