LONDON, July 3 (Xinhua) -- British
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Friday that Britain is "urgently
seeking" clarification from the Iranian authorities after a top Iranian cleric
had said earlier in the day that two detained local staff of the British embassy
in Tehran would be put on
trial.
Miliband said: "We have noted the remarks by
Ayatollah Jannati suggesting that some of our local staff in Iran may face
trial."
"We are urgently seeking clarification from the
appropriate Iranian authorities. I intend to speak to Iranian Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki," the foreign secretary said.
"We are confident that our staff have not engaged in
any improper or illegal behavior. We remain deeply concerned about the two
members of our staff who remain in detention in Iran," he said.
Earlier media reports said that nine local staff of
the British embassy in Iran had been arrested for their alleged "considerable
role" in the post-election riots.
The British government said that two of the nine
staff were still in detention.
Iran has repeatedly accused foreign powers,
especially Britain and the United States, of stoking unrest in the country after
the June 12 presidential election, which handed incumbent President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad a decisive victory.
The European Union on Friday summoned Iranian
ambassadors in protest against the detention of British embassy staff in Tehran.
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
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. Full story
TEHRAN, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday criticized "meddling" of Western countries in Iran's internal affairs, local satellite Press TV reported.
Khamenei slammed the "meddling statements of some U.S. and European officials in Iran's internal affairs" when he was addressing the judiciary chief and staff in Tehran. Full story
