Global General

Iran charges Germans with spying

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-16 17:13

TEHRAN - The judiciary head of Eastern Azerbaijan province, Malek Ajdar Sharifi, said that the espionage charges of two German citizens who attempted to interview the son of a woman sentenced to death has been approved, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.

"The espionage charge for the two German citizens who had come to Iran for propagandistic purposes and for spying has been approved," Ajdar Sharifi said on Monday, adding that "These two people were arrested while interviewing the son of Sakineh Mohammadi."

In October, Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholam-Hosein Mohseni- Ejei said Iran arrested two foreigners who interviewed the son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani who has been on death row since 2006. Her case become internationally known in 2010 after high profile reports that she was convicted of extramarital affairs and sentenced to execution by stoning.

It is found out later that the two foreigners interviewed Ashtiani's son were not journalists, or did not carry any document to prove they were journalists, Mohseni-Ejei said.