TEHRAN – On Monday, Iran denied reports that its Foreign Ministry had given assurances to Britain that Hossein Rassam, an employee of the British Embassy who was arrested on charges of fomenting election unrest in Tehran, would not face trial.

On Saturday, about 100 defendants appeared in court, including journalists, Iranian citizen Hossein Rassam, who is the British Embassy’s chief political analyst, French teacher Clotilde Reiss, and an Iranian woman who is an employee of the French Embassy, identified only as Ms. Ashfar.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said trials are handled by the Judiciary and the ministry cannot interfere in judicial affairs.
Qashqavi stated that Rassam was freed on bail so that he was able to think freely about his upcoming trial and dismissed claims that he made confessions under duress.
Of the eight British embassy staff arrested at the end of June, all were released except for Rassam who, according to his lawyer, has been accused of endangering Iran’s national security.
Commenting on the arrest of the French woman, he said, “This French lady says she was a French language teacher in Isfahan ... then she takes part in protests, takes photographs and films. This has nothing to do with her French teaching.”
How can she justify her stay in Tehran during the days of the protests and sending thousands of email in that time period? Qashqavi asked.
-------Meddling
The spokesman also reacted to a statement by the EU in which it criticized the Islamic Republic for its trial of detainees arrested in the post-election unrest, calling it “meddling” in Iran’s state affairs.
“I believe the paragraph in the recent statement by the European Union presidency which says Iran’s action against one European citizen is considered an action against the entire EU should be examined in terms of its legality and logic. Is this paragraph consistent with governments’ responsibility or legal and logical principles?” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told a weekly press conference.
The European Union presidency said on Saturday it was concerned at a trial in Iran involving employees of the British and French embassies, and that action against any EU embassy staff was action against all of the EU.
Qashqavi criticized certain European countries for their repeated interference in Iran’s internal affairs.
“Why do (some) European countries interfere in our internal affairs? Why don’t they let us and our people alone?