...

Berlin summons Iranian ambassador over detained journalists

Other News Materials 27 December 2010 16:39 (UTC +04:00)
The foreign ministry in Berlin has summoned the Iranian ambassador over the fate of two German journalists held in Iranian custody, a spokesman said on Monday.
Berlin summons Iranian ambassador over detained journalists

The foreign ministry in Berlin has summoned the Iranian ambassador over the fate of two German journalists held in Iranian custody, a spokesman said on Monday, DPA reported.

The government had expressed its displeasure that it had not been possible for the pair - a reporter and a photographer for Bild am Sonntag newspaper - to receive visits from family members who had travelled to Teheran over Christmas.

The Iranian authorities had repeatedly assured German diplomats that they were doing everything for the family members to meet during the holiday period.

The journalists - who had entered Iran on tourist visas - were arrested on October 10 when they sought to interview the son and lawyer of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a woman jailed for adultery and allegedly helping to murder her husband.

Bild am Sonntag reported that the mother of the photographer and the reporter's sister travelled to Tehran to visit their relatives.

Iranian sources said the meeting was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was cancelled because the journalists had not yet been moved to Tehran from the north-western city of Tabriz where they were arrested.

An appeal by Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, in Bild am Sonntag, failed to enable a meeting during the Christmas period.

A spokesman said the mother and sister were still in Teheran on Monday.

Latest

Latest