3:44am Saturday 4th July 2009
© Press Association 2011
The Foreign Office has defended British Embassy staff in Iran against threats to put them on trial for alleged involvement in anti-government protests.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was seeking urgent talks with his counterpart in Tehran after a leading cleric in Iran announced the intended court action in a prayer sermon.
Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of Iran's powerful Guardian Council, claimed staff had made confessions but did not say how many faced trial or on what charges.
"In these events, their embassy had a presence," he said. "Some people were arrested. Well, inevitably, they will be put on trial," he said.
The Guardian reported that the embassy's chief political analyst, a 44-year-old Iranian, had been charged at Tehran's Evin Prison with "acting against national security".
His lawyer, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, was quoted as saying: "Apparently he will be put on trial. We have prepared and submitted the defence documents and I have to see the judge next week."
Mr 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 Foreign Minister (Manouchehr) Mottaki. We are confident that our staff have not engaged in any improper or illegal behaviour. We remain deeply concerned about the two members of our staff who remain in detention in Iran."
Embassy staff were arrested last weekend amid rapidly deteriorating relations with Iran since the disputed re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague condemned the prospect of a "show trial" and demanded a strong reponse from other European Union countries. He said: "The harassment of the staff of any Embassy is a violation of diplomatic norms and conventions. This is a matter of principle and we should be able to expect solidarity and a united response from other European countries if Iran continues down this unwise path."
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