French Academic, Embassy Staff Stand Trial in Iran

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

French academic, embassy staff stand trial in Iran

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer – 24 mins ago

TEHRAN, Iran – A French academic and local staff of the British and French embassies stood trial Saturday with dozens of Iranian opposition figures and confessed to being involved in the country's postelection unrest. Iran's opposition and rights groups have condemned the trial as a sham and say such confessions are coerced and scripted. Britain, which seemed caught off guard by the appearance of its embassy employee, called it an outrage.

Saturday's second hearing at Tehran's Revolutionary Court involved a new group of detainees and focused on testimony from the French academic and the two other foreign-linked defendants, demonstrating the government's resolve to taint Iran's pro-reform movement as a tool of foreign countries — particularly Britain and the United States.

- snip -

The French academic and the two embassy employees took turns standing at a podium in the large, wood-paneled courtroom to make confessions before a judge seated between two large portraits for Iran's supreme leader and the Islamic Republic's founder.

The French Embassy employee, Nazak Afshar, cried as she admitted she was involved in postelection disturbances. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue and said that "brothers at the Intelligence Ministry made me understand my mistake," the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Such confessions — whether coerced or not — have become the centerpiece of Iran's mass trial of more than 100 prominent opposition figures and activists, which began a week ago.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090808/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_election

[Barack_America]

1. "brothers at the Intelligence Ministry made me understand my mistake"

I'm sure they did, with torture and rape.

Poor worman.

:cry:

[Odin2005]

3. Ditto.

:cry:

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Libertas1776]

4. What? The French or the Brits

don't have an ex-President/James Bondish/ John McClane-like/ International Man of Mystery/ super awesome Badass equivalent to handle foreign entanglements involving hostages? Pity, what a pity. That will learn ya not to have an embassy in a place like Iran, especially when you don't have this guy on call.



(Photos courtesy of Cracked.com)

[tocqueville]

6. France demands Iran release teacher, embassy worker

France demands Iran release teacher, embassy worker
Sat Aug 8, 2009 11:15pm IST

PARIS (Reuters) - The French government demanded on Saturday that Iran immediately release French teaching assistant Clotilde Reiss and Tehran embassy staff member Nazak Afshar, saying espionage accusations against them were baseless.

An Iranian court has charged the women and dozens of others of spying and aiding a Western plot to overthrow clerical rule.

"After Clotilde Reiss' appearance before a court in Teheran, France renews its demand for the immediate liberation of the young academic, since the accusations against her are baseless," France's foreign ministry said in a statement.

It said it was also demanding Afshar be freed. France also protested against the conditions of the women's court appearance.

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-41631120090808

[tj2001]

7. “I apologize to the court and the people of Iran and I hope they will forgive me.”

Accused Spies Offer Apologies at Iran Trial
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/world/middleeast/09iran.html?hp

[tocqueville]

8. they are briefed to do that...

The Brits do the same. It doesn't matter. Everybody knows it's forced confessions anyway. If it can avoid them being tortured, it is what matters. Those "confessions" don't even fool Iranians.

[tocqueville]

9. EU protests over Iran trials

EU protests over Iran trials
IANS
First Published : 09 Aug 2009 01:18:44 AM IST

STOCHOLM: The European Union (EU) Saturday protested over the trials in Tehran of some 100 opposition supporters, expressing concern and demanding that all those being held be freed.

The protest was issued by the current Swedish presidency of the EU Council of Ministers.

The protest said the EU would view any act by Iranian authorities against one of its members as an act against the whole EU, which would react accordingly. The statement made no mention of specific measures.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bild indicated in his internet blog that the diplomatic reaction followed telephone consultations with his counterparts in Britain, France and Germany.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=EU+protests+over+Iran+trials&artid=RZ4O3E05cRs=&SectionID=oHSKVfNWYm0=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=VfE7I/Vl8os=&SEO=European%20Union,%20protest

[DonCoquixote]

10. I said it before

Iran, considering that Paris sheltered Khomeni, and outright sided with you against the US with you, I must say, you have a fine way of showing gratitude.