Former Iran atomic negotiator freed on bail-media

TEHRAN, May 9 (Reuters) A former senior Iranian nuclear negotiator detained last week for ''security reasons'' was released on bail of about 217,000 dollars today, Iranian news agencies reported.

Hossein Mousavian, once a member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team with the European Union, is seen as a moderate conservative with ties to the political camp of influential former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

He also headed the foreign policy committee of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

When he was arrested, a news agency said he was detained for ''security reasons'' but did not give details.

The semi-official Fars news agency said the prosecutor's office signed the release order after bail was posted but that investigations into the case would continue.

''He was released at 1500 hrs IST today,'' Fars quoted a source as saying. The student news agency ISNA also said he had been released.

Officials were not immediately available for comment.

Iran's Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei confirmed yesterday that charges against Mousavian were related to ''security issues'' and said two other people had been summoned in relation to the case.

''One of them was released on bail yesterday,'' Fars quoted its source as saying, indicating that at least one of them worked at the Supreme National Security Council.

He and other members of Iran's nuclear negotiating team with the EU were replaced by more hardline officials when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office in 2005.

During the 2005 presidential race, Ahmadinejad said Iran's negotiators had been too timid, although after his election win Iran continued talks with the EU to try to find a diplomatic solution to its nuclear dispute.

Iran denies the West's accusations that it wants to use its nuclear programme to make bombs and says its atomic ambitions are limited to generating electricity.

The United Nations has imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran over its refusal to stop its sensitive uranium enrichment work.

REUTERS SKB VV1928