Iran frees British embassy local staffer: lawyer

19 July 2009 - 18H01

Iran on Sunday freed on bail a British embassy local staffer, who was among a group of nine arrested following disturbances in the wake of the June 12 presidential election, his lawyer said.

"He just got released. He is fine and seems not to be having any problem," lawyer, Abdolsamad Khoramshahi told AFP by telephone from outside the Evin prison where Hossein Rassam had been held.

"A bail of 1 billion rials (100,000 dollars) has been paid" to free Rassam, the lawyer had said earlier.

Rassam, a senior political analyst at the British embassy, was arrested on June 27, along with eight other embassy staffers who have since been released.