Egypt releases Iranian diplomat after spying investigation: MENA

CAIRO, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Egypt released on Sunday an Iranian diplomat arrested over spying charges after the Foreign Ministry confirmed his diplomatic status, state news agency MENA reported. The Iranian diplomat, identified as Qassem al-Husseini, was released by the Higher State Security Prosecution where he was questioned earlier on Sunday.

Husseini was arrested by Egyptian security authorities a few days ago in Cairo on charges of spying. He worked at the Iranian diplomatic mission in Egypt.

Initial investigation showed that he has been gathering and sending to Tehran the economic, political and military intelligence information of Egypt after the political unrest, in addition to that of other Gulf countries and Yemen, according to MENA.

He was part of a spy network that was trying to recruit agents in Arab Gulf countries, the official Al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

Egypt and Iran have had no normal diplomatic relation since 1979 when Cairo signed the peace treaty with Israel and offered asylum to Iran's deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

After 30 years of strained ties, Egyptian and Iranian officials voiced their hope for normalization and improving long-frozen relations between the two Islamic countries after the anti- government protests ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year ruling in Egypt.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil el-Arabi met his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi last week on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Indonesia, and discussed the possibility of exchanging ambassadors with Iran.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-05/29/c_13900107.htm.