‘Iran trial’ for UK embassy staff
Some UK embassy staff detained in Tehran and accused of inciting protests will face trial, says the head of Iran’s top legislative body.
The British foreign office said it was urgently seeking confirmation from Iran on the matter.
Nine embassy staff were held in Tehran last weekend. The UK government says all except two have now been released.
EU governments are considering temporarily withdrawing ambassadors to Iran in protest at the detentions.
"In these incidents, their embassy had a presence, some people were arrested," said Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, the head of Iran’s powerful Guardians Council, according to news agencies.
"Naturally they will be put on trial, they have made confessions."
Speaking at Friday prayers, he did say how many employees would be tried or on what charges.
Protests gripped Tehran and other Iranian cities after June’s presidential election, amid claims the vote had been rigged in favour of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Ayatollah Jannati said the country’s "enemies" had been plotting a "velvet revolution" in the Islamic republic, reported AFP news agency.
Tehran has repeatedly accused foreign powers – especially Britain and the US – of meddling after the election and stoking the unrest.
Britain has protested strongly against the arrests and rejected the Iranian allegations as baseless.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last month described Britain, as the "most evil" of its enemies.</p
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