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Iran: British embassy detainees stirred unrest

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-29 14:13

A senior Iranian official says the fate of British Embassy employees detained for allegedly stirring up post-election protests now rests with the country's cleric-run judiciary.

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Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseini Ejehi claims he has videotape proof that the local embassy staffers - all Iranian nationals - mingled with demonstrators to encourage unrest.

Ejehi told state television late Sunday that the detainees "were distinctly present at the scene of clashes" between opposition protesters and security forces.

He says Iran's judiciary, controlled by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will decide what happens next.

The European Union has condemned the arrests of up to nine embassy staffers. Britain says four since have been released.