Middle East News

Former Iranian top official charged with espionage - report (Roundup)

May 2, 2007, 15:43 GMT

Tehran - Hossein Moussavian, a former top official in Iran's National Security Council, has been charged with espionage and is being held in the notorious Evin prison in northern Tehran, the Fars news agency reported Wednesday. An informed source told Fars that Moussavian, who was arrested on Monday night and jailed in the Evin prison, is charged with 'connections to foreign elements and transfer of information to them.' Fars added that investigations were continuing. A judiciary official confirmed the arrest to ILNA news agency, without giving details of the charges against Moussavian, who was one of the senior nuclear negotiators under former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami. The Fars news agency, meanwhile, said there was speculation that Moussavian was being held in connection with Iran's nuclear programme, but didn't provide precise information. During Khatami's 1997-2005 presidency, Moussavian was the number two man in Iran's National Security Council after Hassan Rowhani, the predecessor to current chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. Moussavian was also Iran's ambassador in Germany in the 1990s and well known among European officials. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Middle East News

Former Iranian top official charged with espionage - report (Roundup)

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