TEHRAN, 1 February 2005 — Iran denied yesterday any involvement with the case of an Egyptian charged with spying for Tehran and preparing for the assassination of an unnamed Egyptian figure in return for $50,000.
“The trial in Cairo concerns the Egyptian government and an Egyptian citizen, and it does not concern us,” Iranian spokesman, Abdullah Ramezanzadeh told reporters.
“We are sure that the trial would end in a way that even if the Egyptian citizen was found guilty, the trial would have nothing to do with us,” he added.
On Saturday, the public prosecutor of Egypt’s security court Hisham Badawi said Mahmud Aid Dabbus, 31, was recruited by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to set up the killing. He had been praised in a letter from one of the Guards’ officials for “the quality of information” he had supplied on his spying mission.
Last December, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi denied that an Iranian diplomat, whom he named as Mohammad Reza Doust, was involved.
“This scenario has been concocted under the influence of Iran’s enemies who serve the interests of the Zionists and are working against the interests of the countries of the region,” Asefi said.
