France says Franco-Iranian academic arrested in Iran

A Franco-Iranian academic based at a prestigious Paris university has been arrested in Iran and denied contact with consular staff, the French foreign ministry said Monday.

The detention of Fariba Adelkhah, a prominent researcher in anthropology and social sciences based at Sciences Po, risks increasing tension between Paris and Tehran at a critical moment in the crisis over the Iranian nuclear programme.

"The French authorities were recently informed of the arrest of Fariba Adelkhah," said the foreign ministry statement which confirmed she holds dual nationality.

"France calls on the Iranian authorities to shed full light on Mrs Adelkhah's situation and repeats its demands, particularly with regard to an immediate authorisation for consular access," it said.

"No satisfactory response has been received until now," it added.

Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said he could not confirm the charges.

Adelkhah is the latest Iranian national also holding a Western passport to be ...