AFP: A German diplomat received consular access to two jailed German reporters in Iran Tuesday for the second time in a month, the foreign ministry said, renewing its call for a “resolution” of the case.
BERLIN, November 16, 2010 (AFP) – A German diplomat received consular access to two jailed German reporters in Iran Tuesday for the second time in a month, the foreign ministry said, renewing its call for a “resolution” of the case.
Iran had earlier Tuesday accused the journalists of spying. The men were arrested on October 10 reportedly while interviewing the son of a woman condemned to death by stoning.
“A staff member from the German embassy in Tehran had the opportunity for a second consular visit with the two jailed German nationals in Tabriz” in northwestern Iran, the ministry in Berlin said in a terse statement.
“The German government continues to work intensively on the quickest possible resolution of the case.”
Iran had previously granted consular access to the detainees in mid-October.
On Monday, Iranian state-run television showed blurred footage of the two as yet unidentified German men “confessing” that they had been “tricked” into travelling to Iran.
The men, who entered the country on tourist visas, reportedly work for Germany’s Springer publishing group. Foreign reporters need special press visas to be able to work in Iran.
The spying accusation came as the foreign ministry in Tehran said Iran and world powers, including Germany, had yet to agree on the venue and agenda for a resumption of talks on Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme, planned for December 5.
