-02 [POL] [ed]
October 23, 2010 - 0:0
Arrested citizens 'doing well' in Iran: German FM
@T= BERLIN (AFP) — German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Thursday that two Germans arrested in Iran who reportedly interviewed the son of a woman sentenced to death were ""doing well under the circumstances"".Westerwelle told reporters that the Germans, who have been detained since October 10, met with a representative of their embassy in Tehran, which he said was still working to secure their release.
""Following very intensive and very difficult discussions, an official at the German embassy in Tehran received consular access today to the two German citizens who are in custody in Tabriz,"" Westerwelle said.
""Our fellow citizens are doing well under the circumstances. We are still doing everything we can to ensure that the two can return safe and sound to Germany as soon as possible.""
The Germans, who have not been identified, were reportedly interviewing Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, whose mother is facing death on charges of murdering her husband.
Westerwelle last Friday asked his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki during talks in Brussels to help secure the release of two Germans.
And a visiting parliamentary group from Germany on Monday asked Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani to intervene in the case.
The Germans, who entered the Islamic republic on tourist visas, reportedly work for the Springer group in Germany. Foreign reporters need special press visas to be able to work in Iran.