French lecturer and embassy staffers on trial in Iran

A French lecturer and two Iranian employees of the British and French embassies went on trial yesterday with protesters opposing the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian news agencies said.

Clotilde Reiss, who turned 24 in Tehran's notorious Evin prison on July 31, was arrested on July 1 as she tried to fly home.

"She is accused of collecting information and provoking rioters," the prosecution was quoted as saying as Reiss, wearing blue jeans, dark coat and a colourful scarf, sat in the front row flanked by a policewoman.

Fellow defendant Nazak Afshar, from the French embassy's cultural section, was also in court. The hearing was not open to foreign media.

State television said both Reiss and Afshar played an "active role in the unrest by giving information to foreign embassies."

IRNA said Reiss admitted reporting on post-election protests in the central city of Isfahan.

"I wrote a one-page report and submitted it to... the cultural department of the French embassy," it quoted her as telling the judge.

"I was planning to leave Iran, but I took part in rallies of June 15 and 17 in Tehran and took photographs and film. I did this out of curiosity and to be aware of the political situation. I wanted to know what was happening."

ISNA news agency quoted Reiss as saying she sent e-mails about the demonstrations to friends and family members.

"My father works for the French atomic energy commission (CEA). I did an internship there and for that I wrote a report on policy in Iran on nuclear energy," it quoted her as saying.

"I based it on articles and information I found on the internet. There was nothing secret."

Her father Remi, contacted in France, would not comment on whether he worked for the French atomic energy commission.

He earlier said he was taken unawares by her court appearance. "I had not been told. I was surprised to see her appear at this trial," he said, adding that he believes she is innocent.

ISNA quoted Reiss as telling the judge: "I ask Iran, its people and the court to forgive me. I hope I will be pardoned."

Afshar told the court that she and other staffers had been told to shelter post-election protesters, IRNA said.

"In the event that confrontations occurred in front of the cultural department of the embassy, we were told to offer refuge to protesters if they asked."

Also in the dock was British embassy local staffer Hossein Rassam who was detained in Tehran along with eight embassy colleagues. They were later freed, while he was released on bail.

IRNA said he was accused of spying.