Iran charges German journalists with espionage

Two German journalists who interviewed the son and lawyer of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning, are being charged with espionage by the Iranian government. The two men, who for the time being have been identified simply as as reporter and a photojournalist, were arrested last month in the city of Tabriz after they interviewed the son (and also lawyer) of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman much empathized with in the Western media after being sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.

The journalist’s interview, which was more than likely used to highlight Iran’s archaic practice of execution by stoning, has been characterized by propaganda by the Iranian government. ”Their reports and propaganda in Tabriz proved that they are in the country for spying,” said the head of the Justice Department of East Azarbaijan, Malek Adjar Shaffie, according to the Fars News Agency.

According to Iran’s Channel 2, one of the unnamed German men has claimed that they were tricked into entering Iran illegally by the spokeswoman for the German based International Committee Against Stoning, Mina Ahadi. “Mina Ahadi sent me to Iran because she knew she would benefit from my arrest and I’ll sue her when I get back to Germany,” the man said.  Ahadi, for her part, has denied the accusation.

In the meantime, a German diplomat from their embassy in Tehran has been given consular access to the two German journalists for the second time, according to a statement released by the German Foreign Office.

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