Tehran charges 13 Iranian Jews were part of international spy ring

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iranian authorities, bowing to domestic and international pressure, are slowly providing details of charges that 13 Iranian Jews were part of an international espionage ring.

The Tehran Times on Thursday said the ring also included Muslims. They said the ring provided information on Iran to foreign intelligence agencies.

The newspaper said the Jewish members of the ring sent their colleagues to Israel for training. An Iranian security source was quoted as saying that the Iranian first arrived in Vienna. From that city, they flew to Israel.

The first arrests of the international espionage ring were made in March, the newspaper said. The second round of arrests took place over the last six weeks.

Iranian authorities dismissed Israeli and Western accusations that Tehran has begun a crackdown of its estimated 16,000 Jews. They said the arrests were in response to evidence that the suspects had harmed Iranian national security.

Officials cited Israeli and U.S. protests of the arrests before any official announcement as proof that the Jewish suspects had links with foreign countries. They discounted any prospect that they would allow foreign intervention to free the suspects.

French Jewish leaders said one of the detainees is a 16-year-old boy. The leaders said they will organize protest demonstrations to press for the release of the Jews.

In Tel Aviv, a delegation from the Orthodox United Torah Judaism Party met with U.S. ambassador Edward Walker and requested greater American efforts to win the release of the Jews. UTJ chairman Meir Porush said Walker pledged that the United States would respond.

"We asked for a more masive help from the United States although we have been encouraged by the efforts until now," Porush said after the meeting. "We spoke of activities that can be done."

At the same time, Jordan has failed to appeal to an Israeli appeal to raise the issue during the forthcoming trip by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi. The appeal was relayed to Jordan's King Abdullah through Israel's ambassador to Amman, Oded Eran.

The London-based Al Hayat said Jordanian leaders fear that they might torpedo a scheduled visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi should they raise the issue. Kharazi has begun a tour of several Middle East states and is expected in Amman next week.

Western diplomats said Israel has turned to Western and other governments to help win the release of the Iranian Jews. They said U.S. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will raise the issue during the G-8 talks in Paris.