Tehran reviewing case of Frenchman stuck in Iran

TEHRAN, Apr 8 (Reuters) Iran is reviewing the case of a French academic forced stay in the country for two months over work ''incompatible'' with his visit plan but hopes the case will be resolved soon, the Foreign Ministry said today.

France says Stephane Dudoignon, a historian specialising in Islam, was detained in January for photographing an annual Sh'ite Muslim rite of Ashura in the southeast of the country. He was freed but his passport was confiscated.

''He has done things which were not compatible with the aim of his visit to Iran,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a weekly news conference.

''Despite the (Iranian) New Year holidays, our colleagues who were in charge of this issue have been reviewing this issue and we hope that this issue will be resolved soon,'' he added.

Le Monde said French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy had expressed his ''concern'' to Iran's ambassador to France, Ali Ahani, when Ahani was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry on March 29 to discuss 15 British sailors detained in Iran.

The 15 Britons, who were held for 13 days, were freed and returned home on Thursday.

Another Frenchman, Stephane Lherbier, was released in February after being held for more than a year for illegally entering Iranian waters in the Gulf.

Reuters PDM GC1600