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British embassy staff facing Iran trial for allegedly provoking protests

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Iranian employees at the British Embassy in Iran will face trial over accusations they contributed to the political protests that followed Iran's recent disputed presidential election according to statements made Friday by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, the head of Iran's Guardian Council for the Constitution. While Jannati did not state the official charges the staff may face, he did say that confessions had been made. Nine embassy employees were arrested last month following protests over the June 12 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but seven have been released. Jannati's comments drew the ire of much of the European community, and European Union (EU) nations are currently considering a British proposal to withdraw all diplomats from Iran. Later Friday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement that the British government was seeking clarification of the issue, and rejected claims that its embassy staff played a role in the protests. The post-election protests reportedly resulted in at least 17 deaths and hundreds of arrests. Iranian authorities have said that those arrested would be dealt with by the courts. Human rights groups have characterized the arrests as political repression, saying that Iranian authorities are using the protests to "engage in what appears to be a major purge of reform-oriented individuals."

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 03, 2009 (boomark / email).