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Iran holds Germans on spying charges
Source: Agencies |
November 17, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
TWO Germans that were arrested in Iran as they interviewed the son of a woman sentenced to be stoned to death are being held on espionage charges, judiciary officials were quoted as saying yesterday.
Iran had initially accused the Germans, who entered the country on tourist visas, of working illegally as reporters when they interviewed the son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, whose death sentence for adultery sparked global outrage.
But the head of the judiciary in Eastern Azerbaijan province said they faced charges of spying, a crime which carries heavy penalties and can be punishable by death.
"The espionage charge for the two German citizens who came to Iran to stage propaganda and spying has been approved," Malekajdar Sharifi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.
The case has added to tension between Iran and the West as diplomats are talking about resuming negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, which some countries believe is aimed at making a bomb - an allegation Tehran denies.
The stoning sentence for adultery received global media attention, with the EU calling it "barbaric," the Vatican pleading for clemency and Brazil offering Ashtiani asylum.
In an interview with US television in September, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied Ashtiani was ever sentenced to be stoned and accused foreign media of whipping up the story to discredit Iran.
But Sharifi said the stoning sentence had been issued.
"The truth is she has been condemned to stoning for adultery," he said.
Iran had initially accused the Germans, who entered the country on tourist visas, of working illegally as reporters when they interviewed the son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, whose death sentence for adultery sparked global outrage.
But the head of the judiciary in Eastern Azerbaijan province said they faced charges of spying, a crime which carries heavy penalties and can be punishable by death.
"The espionage charge for the two German citizens who came to Iran to stage propaganda and spying has been approved," Malekajdar Sharifi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.
The case has added to tension between Iran and the West as diplomats are talking about resuming negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, which some countries believe is aimed at making a bomb - an allegation Tehran denies.
The stoning sentence for adultery received global media attention, with the EU calling it "barbaric," the Vatican pleading for clemency and Brazil offering Ashtiani asylum.
In an interview with US television in September, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied Ashtiani was ever sentenced to be stoned and accused foreign media of whipping up the story to discredit Iran.
But Sharifi said the stoning sentence had been issued.
"The truth is she has been condemned to stoning for adultery," he said.
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