TEHRAN, March 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran on Sunday rejected an Egyptian verdict against an Iranian diplomat and his alleged Egyptian accomplice for spying, terming it as ridiculous and catering for Israel, the official IRNA news agency reported.

    "The scenario has since the beginning been baseless and legally unjustified," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi was quoted as saying.

    Earlier in the day, Egypt's Emergency Higher State Security Court sentenced Mohamed Reza Dosset, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard officer, to 25 years' imprisonment in an espionage case. Dosset who had fled to Iran was tried in absentia.

    In addition, Mahmud Aid Dabbus, an Egyptian national, was also sentenced to 35 years in prison for working as an accomplice. Asefi rejected the Egyptian verdict, saying "the court session has been held with an aim to appease the Zionist regime (Israel)."Rebuffing the court's decision, the Iranian spokesman also demanded explanation from the Egyptian authority for the case."The Islamic Republic has since the beginning rejected the claims of the Egyptian prosecutor and we vehemently seek explanation from the Egyptian government about the issue," said Asefi.

    Iran has severed diplomatic ties with Egypt since the Iranian revolution in 1979 due to the peace agreement Egypt had signed with Israel. Enditem