Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Iranian authorities have arrested eight local employees of the British Embassy for allegedly taking part in post-election demonstrations. The Fars news agency reports that the people involved are accused of playing an active role in provoking recent mass unrest. Great Britain has dismissed the accusations and is demanding the release of its staff.
After Iran’s 12 June presidential elections mass street protests broke out in Tehran and other Iranian cities with protesters demanding the cancellation of the poll.
Riot police and basij militia (revolutionary vigilantes) tackled the demonstrations with extreme violence. At least 17 people died in the ensuing incidents with hundreds more wounded.
More than 400 people have been arrested, including Iranian politicians and journalists.
Foreign journalists have been either expelled or prevented from doing the work.
The demonstrations which drew hundreds of thousands of people represent the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic’s ruling elite in the past 30 years.
Since the unrest began President elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Supreme Leader Alì Khamenei and other government officials have blamed foreign powers, especially Great Britain and the United States, for the unrest.
Iranian authorities have expelled two British diplomats in the past few days. The British government retaliated by expelling two Iranian diplomats.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that some of the arrested employees have been released, but that others continued to be held.
Sources in Iran told AsiaNew that the arrests are an attempt by the ruling regime to use foreigners as scapegoats for the country’s current difficulties.
“By playing the nationalist card Iran’s rulers want to cover up the loss among Iranians of trust in their leadership and the rift that is dividing the country.”
The Guardian Council, which supervises Iran’s elections, declared Ahmadinejad’s election the “cleanest” in the country’s history.
However, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Kharroubi, who lost in the elections, on behalf of the opposition refuse to accept the results and want new elections.