TEHRAN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian cleric said
Friday that some local staff of the British embassy in Iran will be put on trial
for alleged instigating post-election unrest in the country.
"In these developments, their embassy had a presence
(in the unrest) and some people were arrested," Guardian Council Secretary
Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said at Friday prayers in Tehran.
"Inevitably, they will be put on trial as they have
made confessions," Jannati said.
He did not give the exact figure of those to be
tried. Iranian media reported earlier that a total of nine local staff were
initially detained, but most of them had been released and only one remained in
custody.
However, British officials said that two embassy
employees in Iran remained in detention.
On Friday, European Union countries summoned Iranian
ambassadors to protest against the detention.
Relations between Britain and Iran have been strained
after Tehran accused Western countries, Britain in particular, of stoking the
unrest that swept throughout the country after June 12election.President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad was declared a decisive winner of the polling.
Britain expresses concern over embassy
staff in Iran
LONDON, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Foreign Office
on Friday expressed concern over reports in Iran that staff of its embassy in
Tehran involved in post-election riots will face trial.
"We are very concerned by these reports and are
investigating," a spokeswoman said, "Allegations that our staff were involved in
fomenting unrest are wholly without foundation. We will be seeking an urgent
explanation from the Iranians." Full story
Two British embassy staff in Iran
released: Foreign Office
LONDON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Two local employees of the
British Embassy in Iran, who protested against the Iranian presidential election
result and were arrested for alleged role in post-election riots in the country,
have been released, the British Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said it had
confirmed that two of the embassy staff in Iran had been released over the last
two days, adding that it will also seek confirmation about Iranian media reports
that a further member of the staff has been released on Wednesday. Full story
