TEHRAN: Iran has summoned a British diplomat to protest what it described as the “illegal and unjustified” detention of an Iranian in the UK, Iran’s state-run news agency reported. IRNA reported Sunday that the Foreign Ministry summoned the UK charge d’affaires and called the detention of its national, who was not identified, a violation of international law and expressed strong dissatisfaction over what it characterized as politically motivated judicial actions. The ministry warned the UK against further “unconstructive behavior” that could damage diplomatic relations, IRNA said. Iran’s protest comes as ties between Tehran and London deteriorate. Three men accused of being Iranian spies faced charges in a London court Saturday that they conducted surveillance on and plotted violence against UK-based journalists for an Iranian news outlet. On the day they were arrested two weeks ago, U.K. police took four other Iranian nationals into custody on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act in a separate investigation. They were released from custody Saturday, though counterterror police said that their investigation continues.
