British woman among protesters on trial in Iran

The Foreign Office is scrabbling to confirm reports that a 24-year-old British-Iranian woman is in jail in Tehran, facing charges of “spreading moral corruption” as well as “public order and national security offences,” linked to anti-government protests.

The reports are worrrying, confusing and intriguing in equal measure.

The charges are very serious, but no one has yet been able to establish the woman’s identity.

It seems that the mystery defendant may also be linked to other murky, reports about two German policemen, attached to the Tehran embassy, who were recently flown home in a hurry amid a flurry of allegations of espionage and love trysts with “an Iranian woman”.

The German ministry of foreign affairs is not exactly clear that it is the same woman who is implicated in both incidents, I am told. All they would say to us officially was the enlightening: “We cannot give any names or say anything”. German federal police say they are conducting an investigation.

Last month, the Iranian intelligence minister said “several foreign nationals” were among those detained after clashes during Ashura, on 27 December, in which at least eight protesters died.

It has taken a long time for it to emerge that one of them is apparently British, although it is reported that she may only have been arrested within the past three weeks.

The Iranian government chooses not to differentiate between Iranian citizens and those holding dual nationality.

They have a habit of refusing to recognise dual citizenship if doing so could benefit the individual concerned, but trumpeting foreign meddling when it suits.

What is particularly intriguing about this case, and is nonplussing diplomats and analysts alike, is that the Tehran regime has so far chosen not to make a big noise about the fact they are apparently detaining a Briton, whom they are accusing of serious offences.

Usually Iran makes the most of every opportunity to lambast the country it brands the ‘wily old fox’ and ‘little satan’.

Whitehall has long been accused by Tehran of conspiring to foment revolution. An Iranian employed by the British embassy as its chief political analyst has already been convicted of organising protests following the disputed presidential election last June.

Hossein Rassam is currently on bail, pending appeal of his four-year sentence.

The British woman is among 16 alleged oppostion protestors on trial, five of whom are charged with ‘moharebeh’, the capital offence which translates as ‘waging war against God’.

An Iranian news agency says she does not face the death penalty however.

The reported charges against her include espionage, immoral relations with foreigners, drinking alcohol and insulting high-ranking officials.

She is apparently accused of sending text messages encouraging attendance of ‘green’ demonstrations.

The foreign office said: “We have seen reports that a dual national appeared in court in Tehran yesterday. We are in contact with the Iranian authorities to seek urgent clarification on whether a British national is involved and to request consular assistance.”

The Iranian weekend closed in before any clarification could be obtained.

Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that one of the defendants (and the implication is that it was the British woman) told the court: “I do not think that taking to the street means spreading corruption.”

It is impossible to obtain independent confirmation of what was said in court as no independent observers are permitted to attend.

We were unable to reach her state-appointed lawyer. The trials have themselves been condemned as unfair by international human rights groups.

More than 80 people have now been jailed for up to 15 years after being convicted of fomenting unrest.

Five have been sentenced to death, and two of those convicted of moharebeh were executed last week.

A hardline cleric, Ayatollah Jannati, has called for more such executions, branding protestors “corruptors on earth”.

He told worshippers at Tehran university last week: “I thank the judiciary chief for executing two rioters and urge him to execute others if they do not give up such protests”.

The regime seems intent on putting the fear of God into would-be demonstrators as the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution approaches, next Thursday, when an upsurge of ‘green’ opposition protest is widely expected.