Iran Tries French Woman, UK Embassy Staff

(AP)  A young French academic and local staff of the British and French embassies stood trial Saturday with dozens of Iranian opposition figures and confessed to being involved in the country's postelection unrest.

Iran's opposition and rights groups have condemned the trial as a sham and say such confessions are coerced and scripted.

Britain, which seemed caught off-guard by the appearance of its embassy employee, called it an outrage, while France demanded the immediate release of its citizen.

Saturday's second hearing at Tehran's Revolutionary Court involved a new group of detainees and focused on testimony from the French academic and the two other foreign-linked defendants, demonstrating the government's resolve to taint Iran's pro-reform movement as a tool of foreign countries - particularly Britain and the United States.

The prosecutor accused the two countries of fomenting the unrest in an attempt to engineer a "soft overthrow" of the government.

The French academic and the two embassy employees took turns standing at a podium in the large, wood-paneled courtroom to make confessions before a judge seated between two large portraits for Iran's supreme leader and the Islamic Republic's founder.

The French Embassy employee, Nazak Afshar, cried as she admitted she was involved in postelection disturbances. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue and said that "brothers at the Intelligence Ministry made me understand my mistake," the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Such confessions - whether coerced or not - have become the centerpiece of Iran's mass trial of more than 100 prominent opposition figures and activists, which began a week ago.

The defendants are accused of crimes including rioting, spying and plotting to overthrow the regime during the massive street demonstrations denouncing the official results of the June 12 election.

The prosecutor read out an indictment at Saturday's session that accuses Britain and the U.S. of planning to rouse the unrest with the aim of toppling Iran's Islamic rulers through a "soft overthrow," the IRNA news agency reported. The indictment also accused the two powers of providing financial assistance to Iran's reformists to undermine hard-line ruling clerics.

Hossein Rassam, a political analyst at the British Embassy who was arrested shortly after the election, told the court that Britain was involved in fomenting the unrest, according IRNA.

He said a budget of £300,000 - or about $500,000 - had been allocated to establish contacts with Iranian political groups, influential individuals and activists, IRNA reported.

The news agency quoted him as saying that he established contacts before the election with the campaign headquarters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the pro-reform candidate who says he was robbed of victory through fraud.

"My main responsibility was to gather information from Tehran and other cities by setting up contacts with individuals and influential parties and political groups and to send reports to London. ... The British Embassy, due to its hostile policies in Iran and fear of exposure of its contacts inside Iran, employed local staff to establish such contacts. I established such contacts based on orders from embassy officials," IRNA quoted Rassam as saying.

Rassam has been charged with espionage and "acting against national security," IRNA reported.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband condemned the trial and said the British government had raised the matter with the Iranian ambassador in London and Iran's deputy foreign minister.

"Hossein is a member of our staff going about his legitimate duties," Miliband said in a statement. It added that the trial against him and other embassy staff "only brings further discredit to the Iranian regime."

An earlier Foreign Office statement said Rassam's appearance in court was an outrage and contradicted assurances from senior Iranian officials.

Eight other British Embassy staffers arrested along with Rassam were released after about a week in custody.

Seated in the front row of the courtroom with a scarf over her hair was 24-year-old French academic Clotilde Reiss, who was reportedly arrested July 1 at Tehran airport.

According to IRNA, she told the court that she made a mistake by attending a demonstration.

"I had personal motives for joining gatherings to see what was happening out of curiosity but I admit that I made a mistake and should not have attended," IRNA quoted her as saying.

Reiss has been charged with acting against national security by joining protests, gathering information, taking photos and sending them abroad.

The French Foreign Ministry on Saturday called for the immediate release of both Reiss and embassy employee Afshar, saying that the charges against them were without basis.

The ministry statement also objected to the conditions under which Reiss and Afshar were being tried, and "deplored" that neither woman was represented by a lawyer.

Sweden, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, expressed concern over the trials and noted that actions against one EU country - citizen or embassy staff - is considered action against all EU member states.

Iranian defendants appearing Saturday included Ali Tajernia, a former reformist lawmaker; Shahaboddin Tabatabaei, a prominent leader of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, Iran's largest reformist political party; and Ahmad Zeidabadi, an outspoken journalist opposing hard-liners.

A reformist Web site said riot police attacked family members of the defendants and others gathered in front of the court to denounce the trial.
By Associated Press Writer Ali Akbar Dareini; AP writers Raphael G. Satter contributed to this report from London, Elaine Ganley from Paris

[Sloughfoot]

ToolMangler1 - Thank you!

[ramos1129]

The French Embassy employee, Nazak Afshar, cried as she admitted she was involved in postelection disturbances. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue and said that "brothers at the Intelligence Ministry made me understand my mistake," the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
----------------------------------------------

Of course they did but they used pliers, water boarding, etc. Anyone would confess under those circumstances.

Although the Obama administration repudiated the Bush administration use of torture, we still cannot be viewed as been credible when we denounce such tactics.

[hower4]

At least Iran is giving them a trial, which is more than the US and the UK do.

[RCC_Soldaten]

Now is a good time to test the Iranian air defense systems.

[mike18881]

my understanding is his, they're French and
British what does this have to do with the US? Let them take care of their own people. I'm tired of the "right" thinking that we have to get involve in everything. Let us take care of our people,let others take care of theirs. Only my thought.

[eclecticman1]

The story isn't over. The people haven't been cowed. Iranians understand what the trials really are. The liberals, progressives and moderates will eventually defeat the hard line conservatives. That is for sure, no matter how long it takes.

[johnhouse]

The standard for an embassy employee who violates a country's sovereignty is expelling the employee, not trial. While I cannot determine the validity of Iran's complaint, it's conduct implies that it fears the outcome of a conflict based on tradition and fact.

Cyrus the Great is weeping in rage.

[johnhouse]

Letter of the law....depends on what sort of "law" a country uses.

As for Cyrus, when he spoke, people listened....because they wanted to hear.

When it came to force of arms, he went where he chose and did as he pleased.

Everyone would do well to study Cyrus the Great, especially if they want to understand Iran.

[YCantWeAllGetAlong]

Iran is a joke. I hope this innocent woman gets away from these pigs. They are all murderers and are embarrassing to those who live good and honest lives.

[John_Merritt]

"Iran's opposition and rights groups have condemned the trial as a sham and say such confessions are coerced and scripted."

If Iran ever wants to be part of a civilized world community, that respects them as they want to be respected; they need to demonstrate some restraint and acceptance that a certain amount of change is to be expected. The mere fact that people are expressing their opinions does not fit with the mantra of the Iranian system of rule, but they have to know how people really feel.

For them to stifle human emotion is to create a mockery of God's intent for mankind. Free will and free choice goes along with God's law. If people know the rules and still attempt to usurp authority, that goes under the heading of 'proceed with caution'.

Iran (Persian's) are one of the oldest civilizations that have survived throughout the years. Their people are proud and respectful to their government and their God, that I know. Their government needs to make people part of the process without undermining their entire belief system. Can it be done? Absolutely.

Iran's leaders need to feel their way and understand emotion does not mean sin against God. On the contrary, emotion in its purest form allows people to feel. To stifle emotion is contrary to God's law and they know that. The problem they have is that they don't trust people to make the right decisions.

If the laws are in place, Iran should allow people to demonstrate peacefully but when peace gives way to anger and hostility, it needs to be confronted. Iran needs to 'slap the demonstrators on the wrist' by showing compassion but telling them 'we can't tolerate this type of behavior'. If the people know the rules, they will play by them. Iran's leaders have to show fatherly restraint to their children; and foreign agencies need to behave themselves when they are abroad.

There is no reason for the US or UK to create strife. The people will do what ever they want without assistance from foreign embassies. What I would like to see is the UN intervene as they should and create a mandate for Iran. That way Iran knows they are responsible to the entire world and not just the French, UK and the US. However, I doubt the U.N. would do anything along these lines because they do not personify 'united'.

[tincup356]

Politicians in Washington should worry about dissent in America. The way they run OUR government is actually just as bad as the Iranians. Corruption via the lobby dollar has destroyed America,,,,,,our representatives should be ashamed of themselves,,,,for NOT representing the people, and harloting out their services to the lobby dollar. It made me sick to watch the Republicans do what they did for eight years,,,while the Democrats screamed about EVERYTHING they did,,,,,,BUT MY how the situation changes when the power is passed,,,,the Democrats....are just staying the course,,,,just like the republicans did...AND they are adding to the mess by entering conspiracy with corporate America to defraud the American people,,,,BOTH parties are white collar, suit and tie terrorists who have committed TREASON against the people.

[ecoology]

This trial is a sham, just like everything else about the Iranian rogue government.

We complain and protest - mere words, while Iran marches steadly to becoming a nuclear rogue entity. Once there, it can be assured they will use their atomic bomb, or pass it along to extremists who will use it. Either way, we are not far from seeing the effects of extremist, wacko screwballs having the most powerful weapon ever devised.
will Obama's desire for "dialog" help in any way those who fall victim to a nuclear Iran?

[the_majesty]

To Hell with dialog.
If Iran keeps this up.
Action should be taken.

[tincup356]

The Iranian people took the phrase "ELECTION RESULTS",,,,,,changed the letters around and spelled "LIES LETS RECOUNT".