UK appeasing Iran, says Nobel Laureate Ebadi

London, Sep.24 (ANI): Britain has ignored Iran's savage suppression of opposition in order to safeguard talks on its nuclear program, claimed the latter country's only Nobel Laureate and human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi.

The Times quoted Dr. Ebadi as saying that the sanctions should have been imposed on the Iranian regime over the alleged theft of the election and the subsequence killing, beating and imprisoning of opponents.

She called for the downgrading of Western embassies, the withdrawal of ambassadors and the freezing of the assets of Iran's leaders.

British officials dismissed her appeals as misguided.

"The only other people who act like they want to close our embassy are the Iranian Government," a Foreign Office source said.

Dr Ebadi said that Britain should have been tougher. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that Britain had signalled its displeasure at the regime's conduct by withholding its customary letter of congratulation. It said "communication channels had to be kept open". (ANI)