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WORLD: David Miliband keeps pressure on Iran over Embassy workers
06.07.09
Iran faces mounting pressure from the UK today to free British embassy workers being held by the authorities, after Foreign Secretary David Miliband expressed "cold anger" at their detention.
The Foreign Office had last night not been able to verify whether one of the last two remaining behind bars had been set free, after receiving assurances they would be released yesterday.
And Mr Miliband launched a vigorous defence of the other employee, believed to be the embassy's chief political analyst Hossein Rassam, who is said by his lawyer to face trial for "acting against national security".
Nine staff were originally arrested after the disputed re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the street protests that followed.
Amid mounting diplomatic tensions, Mr Miliband accused the Iranian regime of pursuing a "grim and gruesome" clampdown against protesters angry at the re-election of Mr Ahmadinejad.
Tehran publicly accuses the UK of fomenting the unrest and a senior cleric said on Friday that some embassy staff, all Iranian, had "confessed" to playing a part and would face trial.
But Mr Miliband rejected the allegations.
"The allegations of improper conduct have absolutely no basis," he said, saying the individual was "an honourable, patriotic Iranian, who has been working in a completely open and transparent way for the UK".
"I think it is very, very important that we send a clear message that we are confident about the way he has been doing his job, that we are clear about our goal, which is his release, unharmed and also that there is unity across the international community," he went on.
"It is very important that my anger, my cold anger about the way our staff have been treated, in this case Iranian citizens, doesn't turn into a rhetorical volley at the Iranian regime because that doesn't do anything either for our people or for reform in Iran," he said.
"What's important is that I turn my anger into determination to see that justice is done by our people."
In the same BBC interview he revealed that the Iranian deputy foreign minister had told the British ambassador that the eighth of the nine would indeed be released yesterday without charge.
But there was no news last night of whether that assurance had been met.
One release that was confirmed was that of a journalist with joint British and Greek nationality who had been held for more than two weeks.
The freelance reporter, believed to be Iason Athanasiadis-Fowden and known as Jason Fowden, had been in the country for The Washington Times and was thought to be the only non-Iranian reporter being held.
EU member states summoned the Iranian ambassadors to their countries on Friday to deliver co-ordinated warnings that the treatment of the British embassy staff was unacceptable.
Reader views (5)
Does Iran really think that the UK could be responsible for the millions of angry Iranians that have taken to the streets?
Get real Iran. Your people want Democracy.
Where are the EU when we need them? Mr Milliband... I'm proud of you mate.
xx
- Paul, Bromley
Milly Bland is a political pygmy, completely devoid of statesmanship. The Iranians couldn't give a stuff about what he says or about his empty threats, and why should they?
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
woof, woof.
Down Milibanana, your cold anger might scare Iran.
You should be more frightened about the cold anger this government is causing the average Brit.
- Ex London, Germany
He didn't "express cold anger". He just said that he had it. That's quite different. He's just an ambitious politico, but unwilling and unable to plunge the dagger into GB's back.
- Davidke, ramsey isle of man
Milibanana is definitely the most useless Foreign Secretary ever.
Spin and waffle.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
