Iran Confirms Trial of German Opens Today

AFP, Oman Observer:

Iran's judiciary confirmed that a German arrested along with a Frenchman during a fishing trip off the coast of southern Iran will go on trial today in the port city of Bandar Abbas. "The German man who is represented by an Iranian lawyer will go on trial on Thursday (today) for illegally entering Iran's territorial waters," a judiciary official in the southern province of Hormuzgan said by telephone. READ MORE

The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the French national was waiting for the investigation into his case to be completed, but did not elaborate. The German foreign ministry announced Tuesday the trial of its citizen adding that 52-year-old German would be represented by an Iranian lawyer from Bandar Abbas, "who knows this kind of case well, having defended other foreigners".

The pair, arrested a month ago, stand accused of illegally entering Iranian waters. The German and the Frenchman were on holiday in the United Arab Emirates across the Gulf when they were reported missing on November 29. 2005 by the German's wife, who was also holidaying with them.