Iran Rejects Bush Call For Release Of Iranian-Americans

Esfandiari, Tajbakshi, Azima (left to right) (RFE/RL)

June 3, 2007 -- Iran today accused U.S. President George W. Bush of
interfering in Iranian internal affairs because of his demand for the
release of four Iranian-Americans being held in Iran.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the four are Iranian nationals, and authorities are investigating their cases.

On June 1, Bush demanded that Iran "immediately and unconditionally" release the four.

The United States has denied the four are spies or clandestine employees of the U.S. government.

On May 31, international human rights groups
called on Iran to release two Iranian-American scholars -- Haleh
Esfandiari and Kian Tajbakhsh -- and peace activist Ali Shakeri. All
three are being held on suspicions of spying or acting against state
interests.

A fourth, Parnaz Azima,
a reporter with Radio Farda, a joint project of Voice of America and
RFE/RL, has been charged with disseminating propaganda and is free on
bail awaiting trial.

Amnesty International, Human Rights
Watch, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, among others, warn
that Iranian authorities are trying to sow fear among journalists,
writers, scholars, and activists.

(AP)