Thursday, March 16, 2006

Iran Appeals Court Confirms Jail Terms for French, German Nationals

Wanadoo:
An Iranian appeals court has confirmed a sentence of 18 months in jail for a German and Frenchman accused of illegally entering Iranian waters in a fishing boat, a judicial source said. "The sentence has been confirmed, but the ruling has not yet been made public," the source said.

German Donald Klein and Frenchman Stephane Lherbier were arrested after straying while on a fishing trip from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November. READ MORE

Their lawyers vowed to fight the latest decision made after the appeals court met last Sunday.

During the final court session, the defendants' lawyers, both of whom are Iranian, told the judge their clients did not realised they had trespassed into territorial waters, claimed by both Iran and the UAE.