British Professor Arrested In Iran On 'Security Charges'

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi told reporters in Tehran that Abbas Edalat, a professor who works at London’s Imperial College has been arrested on “security charges”.

Abbas Edalat, a computer scientist and mathematician at Imperial College London, was reportedly held earlier this month by the Revolutionary Guard.Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi was quoted by Iran's official IRNA news agency as saying Mr Edalat had been arrested on "security charges", without elaborating.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi told reporters in Tehran: “I confirm his arrest on security charges, but I am unable to give details,” according to state broadcaster IRIB.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported earlier this week that Mr Edalat was among several people arrested by the Revolutionary Guard over accusations of being a member of a "network affiliated with Britain". Mr Edalat, who has campaigned against Western military action targeting Iran, travelled there from his home in England on an unknown date to attend an academic workshop, according to the Centre for Human Rights in Iran.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are urgently seeking information from the Iranian authorities following reports of the arrest of a British-Iranian dual national."

The arrest of Mr Edalat follows the detention of another dual national, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, in 2016.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five-year jail term after being convicted of spying, which she has always denied.Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has criticised the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's unsuccessful bids to have her released.