Trial for Brit embassy staff in Iran

Looking for someone to blame for unrest after their June 12th election riots, Iranians are putting some of the UK embassy staff on trial according to the BBC;

Guardians Council chief Ahmad Jannati said: “Naturally they will be put on trial, they have made confessions.”

Nine embassy staff were held in Tehran last weekend. Britain says all but two have now been freed.

EU governments are considering temporarily withdrawing ambassadors to Iran in protest at the detentions.

Ayatollah Jannati did not say how many employees would be tried or on what charges.

The Scotsman reports that Jannati claimed the staff member(s) made confessions.

In the Times Online, government a spokesman denied the legitimacy of the allegations;

A Foreign Office spokesman denied that embassy staff took any part in demonstrations and demanded more information from Tehran.

“We are very concerned by these reports and are investigating,” a spokesman said. “Allegations that our staff were involved in fomenting unrest are wholly without foundation. We will be seeking an urgent explanation from the Iranians.”

Meanwhile, Iranians are still languishing in prisons for their parts in the protests. Popular former president Mohammad Khatami spoke out on their behalf, as quoted in the New York Times;

Mr. Khatami called the election “a coup against the republicanism of the system,” and warned, “Do not think that suppressing the protests would put an end to them. They will emerge again but in different forms.”

He also spoke caustically of the mass arrests: “If these people have committed crimes, why are their legal rights as citizens not preserved, why don’t they have access to a lawyer, why are they not tried in a court, why haven’t they been charged?”

Meanwhile, President Obama remains concerned and hopes that things calm down soon so he continue the rape of our economy in relative peace.

Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Terror War