British-Iranian professor has been arrested in Iran. A spokesman for Iran's judiciary told state media that Abbas Edalat had been arrested on security charges.
Edalat, a professor at London's Imperial College,
was reportedly detained on 15 April while attending an academic workshop
in Tehran. The Foreign Office said it was "urgently looking into" the
reports of his arrest. On Thursday, an Iranian news agency reported
that Edalat was part of a "network" of British spies whose members have
been identified and arrested.
According to state broadcaster IRIB, Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi told reporters in Tehran on Sunday: "I confirm his arrest on security charges, but I am unable to give details."
The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said Edalat was detained
by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The group said guards had
confiscated a computer, CDs and notebooks during the arrest. Edalat is a
professor of computer science and mathematics.
He had been a founder of an anti-war protest group that opposed
sanctions in Iran. Imperial College has said it is "concerned for his
welfare" and "urgently seeking further information. There are at least
30 dual nationals in jail in Iran - among them several dual
British-Iranian nationals. One of them Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe, 39 is
currently serving a five-year jail sentence after being convicted of
spying charges. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was arrested at Tehran
Airport on 3 April 2016, has denied the charges against her.
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