German envoys involved in Iran Ashura riots

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TEHRAN, Jan 27 (AFP): German diplomats had a hand in riots in Iran last month during the Shiite commemoration of Ashura, local news agencies reported Wednesday quoting an unnamed deputy intelligence minister.
The official IRNA news agency reported that the deputy minister spoke of the "involvement of German diplomats" in the riots on December 27, the day of Ashura.
"The riots on this day were pre-planned and the 'current of sedition', anti-revolutionaries and the network affiliated to Western intelligence services were involved," the deputy minister was quoted as saying by IRNA.
The authorities use the words "current of sedition" to describe the anti-government protest movement.
According to the report the deputy intelligence minister said that a close advisor of main opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was identified and arrested and made "confessions."
"Available evidence and this person's confessions show that he was connected through a point man to the intelligence service of a European country and was releasing confidential information," IRNA quoted the deputy as telling reporters.
A few days after the Shiite commemoration, Iranian officials revealed they had detained a Swedish diplomat for 24 hours on the day of Ashura.