Iran General NewsIran bails British embassy staffer

Iran bails British embassy staffer

-

ImageAFP: Iran on Sunday released on bail a British embassy staffer, who was among a group of nine arrested following disturbances after the hotly disputed June 12 presidential election, his lawyer said.

ImageTEHRAN (AFP) — Iran on Sunday released on bail a British embassy staffer, who was among a group of nine arrested following disturbances after the hotly disputed June 12 presidential election, his lawyer said.

"He just got released. He is fine and seems not to be having any problem," the lawyer, Abdolsamad Khoramshahi, told AFP by telephone from the precincts of Evin prison where Hossein Rassam was held.

"Bail of one billion rials (100,000 dollars) has been paid" to free Rassam, the lawyer told AFP.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband welcomed the release but reiterated his insistence that the detention of the embassy staffers was "completely unjustified."

"I am very glad Hossein Rassam has been released," Miliband said in a statement.

"The release of all of our staff has remained an important priority throughout the past three weeks, and has required intensive discussions with the Iranian authorities.

"This has included my conversations with Foreign Minister (Manouchehr) Mottaki, who has with his deputy, kept us informed of developments."

He added: "The detention of embassy staff was completely unjustified: I am confident that none of them were involved in any improper behaviour."

Rassam, a senior political analyst at the British embassy, was arrested on June 27, along with eight other embassy staffers who have since been released.

"I haven't seen his file yet but… as far as I know he has been charged with action against national security, I do not have anything in detail to say until I read the file," Khoramshahi said.

Iran has repeatedly accused the West, and Britain in particular, of stoking unrest following the disputed June election.

Tehran has expelled two British diplomats and London has retaliated with tit-for-tat expulsions.

The arrest of the embassy staff strained already tense ties between Tehran and London.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had warned Iran that the European Union was ready to act collectively in response to the arrests and received expressions of solidarity from fellow members of the 27-nation bloc.

"The Iranian regime must be clear that if this action continues and we are forced to act, we will act together with our European partners," Brown said on July 6.

Latest news

 Statistics show that New Year accidents’ deaths in Iran reached 585

Ahmad Shirani, the head of the Information and Traffic Control Center of the Iranian regime’s police, announced that the...

Land Subsidence in Critical Conditions in Isfahan

Mehdi Toghyani, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament), pointed to the occurrence of land subsidence in various...

Iran’s Actual Inflation Rate Higher Than Official Stats

The state-run Donya-e-eqtesad newspaper, in a report analyzing the "general sentiment" regarding inflation in 2023, has stated that households...

Iranian Workers’ Monthly $136 Wages Can’t Cover $500 Expenses

The lives of a significant portion of the Iranian population are marked by uncertainty, largely because the Iranian economy...

Iranian Nurses Earn Twice Their Wages in Ride-Hailing Services

Reza Aryanpour, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) Health and Treatment Commission, highlighted the growing trend of nurses...

Iran: Unprecedented Record of 152 Million Liters of Gasoline Consumption Per Day

On March 19, Iran set a new historical record in gasoline consumption with 152 million liters consumed in one...

Must read

Amnesty International Warns: Danger of Eminent Execution of a Child Bride

Iran Focus London, 13 October - Amnesty International is urging the...

Sanctions on Iran Regime Extended for the Next Decade

Iran Focus London, 17 Nov - The US House of...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you