Tehran, July 05: Britain says Iran is to release one of the two remaining British Embassy employees detained in the aftermath of the post-election unrest in Tehran.
Iran had initially arrested nine local employees of the British Embassy over having a role in fomenting mass public protests following the June 12 vote.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry released seven of the nine detainees following primary investigations keeping two of the staffers for further investigations into their role in the country’s post-election unrest.
British officials have repeatedly called for the release of the remaining British Embassy employees, saying their detention was “unacceptable” and “unjustifiable”.
“Our ambassador was told that the eighth person would indeed be released today, that the papers have been signed and there would not be a court process or charges”, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the BBC on Sunday.
“That leaves one more in custody. All of our efforts are now directed at getting that person out,” he added.
Miliband pointed to the stance adopted by the European Union and the international community regarding the arrests, and went on to warn that “there is no place for this sort of intimidation or harassment” and that “there will be consequences if it continues.”
In protest at the detention of the British Embassy employees, all Iranian ambassadors to the European Union were summoned on Friday and warned that tougher measures would be taken next week if the detainees would not be released.
The EU is also mulling over the imposition of travel bans on certain Iranian officials as well as the withdrawal of its ambassadors from Iran.
A lawyer for political analyst Hossein Rassam, the ninth detainee who has yet to be released, told AP on Sunday that his client had been charged with breaching Iran’s national security.
—–Agencies