Iran agents stormed German diplomat 's home -- Bonn .
BONN 1996-08-31
Iranian security forces burst into the home of a German cultural attache in Tehran a month ago and seized his guests for questioning , Bonn 's foreign ministry said on Saturday .
A spokesman said he could substantially confirm a report in the news weekly Der Spiegel , which said Iranian secret police burst in while attache Jens Gust was entertaining six Iranian writers and their wives .
Gust was threatened with violence , then locked into a room to be interrogated on suspicion of " promoting activities hostile to the state " while his guests were taken away , the magazine said .
The ministry spokesman said the German embassy immediately made a sharp protest to the Tehran government .
The Iranian ambassador was also summoned to the ministry in Bonn to hear a sharp protest and " disapproval of this glaring breach of the principles of international law " , he added .
Iran subsequently said it regretted the incident , which it said had been the result of a misunderstanding .
All those detained appeared to have been freed , the spokesman said .
Relations between the two countries are currently under strain because of the testimony in a Berlin court of former Iranian president Abolhassan Banisadr .
Banisadr , an avowed opponent of the Tehran government who now lives in exile , accused top Iranian leaders of personally ordering the assassination of three exiled Kurdish leaders in a Berlin restaurant in 1992 .
Iran has asked Germany to extradite Banisadr , who is due is due back in Berlin next Thursday to continue his testimony .
Banisadr , who received political asylum in France after fleeing there in 1981 , told Der Spiegel he did not plan to ask for a guarantee of safe conduct .
If Germany were to extradite him , he said , it would " lose face before the whole world " .
German prosecutors have already accused Iran 's intelligence minister Ali Fallahiyan of ordering the killing of the Kurdish leaders .
Iran , which denies the allegations , urged German authorities to disregard Banisadr 's testimony and said it could hurt relations .