EU calls on Iran to free British embassy worker

October 29, 2009

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          EU calls on Iran to free British embassy worker. Tele aph littp://wwwtele apltco .uk/z ws/worldnews/ndddleeast/iran'646 1883/B...
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          EU calls on Iran to free British embassy worker
          Europe has joined in condemnation of the jail sentence handed
          embassy worker accused of fomenting violence in protests after
          down to Hossein Rassam, a British
          the disputed election in Iran.
          By Richard Spencer in Dubai
          Published: 7:01 PM GMT 29 Oct 2009
          The European Union presidency issued a
          statement expressing its “deep concern”
          over the four-year term given at a closed
          court hearing to Hossein Rassam, chief
          local research analyst for the political
          section of the embassy.
          The EU statement said: “The EU considers
          the sentence unjustified and harsh, and
          urges the Iranian authorities to overturn it
          swiftly.
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          Hossein Rassam was among more than a dozen defendants detained during protests over
          President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed June 12 re-election in court in Tehran Photo: GETTY
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          “The presidency reiterates that any action against one EU country, a citizen or member of embassy staff, is considered an
          action against the entire EU, and will be treated accordingly.”
          The issue was raised by David Miliband, the foreign secretary, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
          “This will be seen as an attack against the entire diplomatic community in Iran and important principles are at stake,” Mr
          Miliband said.
          Earlier, the Iranian ambassador had been called in to the Foreign Office to be told of British anger in person. Mr Miliband is
          trying to persuade all his EU counterparts to follow suit as an act of solidarity.
          Embassy officials have had no contact with Mr Rassam since he was put on trial, out of fear that visits would increase
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          11/12/2009 4:45 PM

EU calls on Iran to free British embassy worker. Tele aph ltp://wwwtele apltco.uk/i ws/worldnews/ndddleeast'iran/646 1883/E...
Iranian suspicions of his role. They were informed by friends of the sentence.
There has been no official confirmation. “The court has issued a verdict,” an Iranian news agency quoted his lawyer,
Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, as saying. “But I as a lawyer of Rassam have not received the verdict yet.
Therefore I can't give any comment.”
Diplomats say they hope that Mr Rassam will appeal but hold out little hope that charges can now be dropped. The most
optimistic outcome is that, as with the case of Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist accused of spying earlier this
year, the sentence will be reduced sufficiently to allow him to walk free.
Mr Rassam was one of nine embassy workers detained after the string of protests that met the re-election of President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June.
Opponents said the polls had been rigged, triggering a mass outpouring on to the streets of Tehran.
The other employees were later released, but Mr Rassam was last seen at a televised show trial alongside a French
embassy worker and a French lecturer.
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