Iran refutes media campaign on arrests of Iranian Jews for spying for Israel

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi has sent messages to the foreign ministers of various countries, the secretary general of the UN, the OIC secretary general, the chairman of the European Parliament and the UN high commissioner for human rights following the fierce media campaign provoked following the suspension of several citizens on charges of spying for Israel.

In his messages, Kharazi indicated Iran's policy, which is based on strengthening civil society, the rule of law and honoring rights and freedoms of Iranian citizens according to Islamic jurisprudence.

He stressed that this media campaign launched by "Zionists" due to putting into custody several Iranian citizens under charges of spying, aims at negatively affecting the process of trial in this case. He considered such a campaign as interference in the internal affairs of Iran.

Kharazi stated that the charges addressed to the detained persons have no relevance to their religion, nor to their political attitudes and that they were arrested after they had collected secrets, including military information, in an illegal way and conveyed this information to foreign sides.

Kharazi added that the detained persons are only under accusation and still not sentenced. He added that the call made to release them before following up their file judicially speaking is not acceptable, but "an affront to the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic which has taken the action to thwart the threats against its national security."