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Iran to free 8th British embassy staff

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-06 08:09

LONDON: An eighth staff of nine detained British embassy employees in Iran involved in post-election riots will be released on Sunday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

Miliband told the BBC on Sunday that he learned the news during his daily phone conversation with Britain's ambassador to Iran.

"There would not be a court process of charges," he said, adding that "all of our efforts are now directed toward" the release of the man still being detained by Iran.

Britain sought clarification from the Iranian authorities on Friday after a top Iranian cleric had said the detained staff of the British embassy in Tehran would be put on trial.

Related readings:  British embassy employee in Iran charged  Iran to try local British embassy staff  Iran declares election fight over, vote valid  Iran says 5 British embassy staff freed

Media reports said earlier that nine local staff of the British embassy in Iran had been arrested for their alleged "considerable role" in the post-election riots.

The British government said seven of the nine staff have been released.

Iran has repeatedly accused foreign powers, especially Britain and the United States, of stoking unrest in the country after the June 12 presidential election, which handed incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a decisive victory.