Iran arrests former nuclear negotiator

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian authorities have arrested the country's former nuclear negotiator — an ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's predecessor and rival — on an unspecified security charge.

The hard-line president, meanwhile, insisted his country will not retreat "even an iota" on its nuclear program.

The Iranian state-run news agency, citing an "unofficial informed source," said Hossein Mousavian was arrested Monday in the capital, Tehran.

Mousavian was a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team until 2005 and before that served as Iran's ambassador to Germany. He was a close ally of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Ahmadinejad, who defeated Rafsanjani in the last presidential elections, replaced the nuclear negotiating team, including Mousavian, when he assumed power two years ago.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070502/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear_arrest

[ohio2007]

1. another "spy" for the fifth column exposed !

....... Iran did not officially release any details about the specific charges against him. But the semiofficial Fars news agency — which is deemed close to the elite Revolutionary Guards — said Mousavian could face espionage charges.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070502/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear_arrest

The infiltrators are well entrenched eh?

/sarc

[ShockediSay]

2. Another one bites the dust ... nt

[maddezmom]

3. Ex-Iran nuclear negotiator charged with spying: report

~snip~

Tehran's judiciary has confirmed that Hossein Moussavian is being held under the auspices of the intelligence ministry at Tehran's notorious Evin prison after his arrest last week.

But this is the first indication that Moussavian, who served under reformist president Mohammad Khatami until 2005 and is also close to ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been charged with espionage.

"He is charged with spying on nuclear issues and therefore his case is in the hands of the revolutionary court prosecutors," the agency quoted a source as saying.

"Currently he is in the section of the intelligence ministry in Evin prison (in Tehran) and the investigation is continuing," the source added.

"So far, no decision on the bail has been issued and he is still under arrest."

Hardline Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi confirmed Saturday that Moussavian was in custody but refused to specify the allegations against him "until the investigations are complete."

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070506/wl_mideast_afp/irannuclearpoliticsjustice_070506071659