Miliband: Detention of British Embassy staff in Tehran unacceptable

August 9th, 2009 TEHRAN - Britain's troubled relations with Iran suffered a further setback as a British embassy official confessed to spying during a trial in Tehran, saying that Britain had provided financial assistance to Iran's reformists to weaken the hardline clerical regime during the disputed presidential elections in June this year. Hossein Rassam, a political analyst with the embassy, said the embassy had allocated a budget of 300,000 pounds to set up links with political groups, individuals and activists.

August 8th, 2009 UK says its embassy staffer on trial in TehranLONDON —Britain's Foreign Office says a staff member at its embassy in Iran has been put on trial in Tehran. The ministry says it saw Hossein Rassam pictured among those accused at a mass trial that began Saturday in the Iranian capital, though Rassam had been released from detention in July.

July 19th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran Sunday freed a British embassy staffer, the last of nine arrested on suspicion in fomenting dissent after alleged fraud in Iran's June 12 presidential elections. Hossein Rassam, chief analyst of the British embassy, had been detained for more than three weeks.

July 6th, 2009 LONDON - One of the last two British Embassy employees, held in Iran on the alleged charges of being behind last month's post-election violence in the country, has been released. The British Foreign Office on Monday confirmed the news, but added that embassy's chief political analyst Hossein Rassam is still under detention.

July 4th, 2009 British embassy employee in Iran chargedTEHRAN — The lawyer for a detained Iranian employee of the British embassy in Tehran says his client has been charged with "acting against national security." Lawyer Abdolsamad Khorramshi says his client is being held in Evin prison and will in all likelihood stand trial soon. The lawyer on Saturday identified his client as Hossein Rassam, the embassy's chief political analyst, and said he had not yet been able to meet with him or see the text of the indictment.

July 4th, 2009 TEHRAN - An Iranian lawyer has said that he is seeking the permission of the concerned authorities here to see a detained British embassy staffer who has been accused of "acting against national security". "I have not met with him yet, but I will ask the judiciary for an appointment," The Telegraph quoted lawyer Abolsamad Khorramshahi, as saying.

June 29th, 2009 LONDON - The Gordon Brown Government in Britain has reacted to the arrest of at least eight Iranians working for the British Embassy in Tehran, calling the move unacceptable "harassment and intimidation". According to The Times, the eight, who are thought to work in the embassy's political section, are accused of playing a "significant role" in opposition protests.

June 29th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran is not planning to downgrade diplomatic ties with Britain or any European country, foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi said Monday. Police arrested eight Iranian staff members of the British embassy in Tehran Sunday, a move condemned by British Foreign Minister David Miliband.

June 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Monday deplored the detention of Iranian staffers at the British embassy in Tehran and called for their release. "We find that the harassment of embassy staff is deplorable, and we will continue to support the United Kingdom in calling for their release," Clinton told reporters.

June 28th, 2009 EU keen to restart nuclear talks with IranCORFU, Greece — The European Union wants to restart talks on Iran's nuclear program, an official said Sunday, even as Tehran ratcheted up tensions with the bloc by detaining Iranian employees of the British Embassy. Earlier this month, the EU's 27 leaders unanimously condemned Teheran's treatment of the hundreds of thousands of protesters who have rallied to demand a recount of presidential ballots.

June 28th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran has arrested eight local staff members of the British embassy in Tehran for alleged involvement in demonstrations over the June 12 presidential election, Fars news agency reported Sunday. Iran accuses Western agents of inciting unrest and interfering in internal political matters.

June 28th, 2009 UK calls embassy detentions in Iran 'unacceptable'CORFU, Greece — Britain's foreign secretary categorically denied Sunday that his country had helped foment postelection discontent in Iran. David Miliband, who is on the Greek island of Corfu for a meeting of foreign ministers' from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned the detention of British Embassy employees in Iran, which he said occurred Saturday.

June 23rd, 2009 LONDON - The ongoing violence in Iran is forcing families of British embassy staff to leave the country. At least 12 relatives were packing bags last night.

June 14th, 2009 ROME - An Italian TV crew covering the unrest in Tehran has been attacked and injured by riot police, Italy's foreign ministry said Sunday. The journalists, from Rai 3 TV, were covering clashes between supporters of the defeated candidate Mir-Hossein Moussavi and riot police deployed in the Iranian capital Saturday night following Friday's disputed presidential election.

February 4th, 2009 LONDON - The British Council, Britain's cultural diplomacy arm, has suspended its operations in Tehran with its head accusing the Iranian government Thursday of trying to intimidate staff. The cultural and educational body closed Jan 31 after the Iranian president's office asked most of its 16 local employees to resign, the British Council said.