Photo Gallery The Case of Two German Journalists in Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, 61, spoke with SPIEGEL about the case of two German journalists who were arrested in October while trying to interview the lawyer and son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a woman who was sentenced to death by stoning for having an extramarital afffair. Salehi said "there is ... suspicion that they were sent by people who are waging a terrorist fight against our country."
The journalists have been accused of trying to spy on Iran and are being detained because they did not enter the country on journalist visas. In late December, relatives of the two were allowed to visit the prisoners at a hotel in Tehran. This image is from television footage broadcast by the Iranian state-run channel Al-Alam which allegedly shows the meeting.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and other German diplomats have been working for months to secure the release of the two detained journalists. So far without luck. Salehi told SPIEGEL that Westerwelle is welcome in Tehran any time.
Ashtiani, depicted here with her son during an interview with select foreign reporters in Tabriz, said that she was going to sue the two German reporters for having brought "shame to me and my country."
