[JURIST] The government of Iran [JURIST news archive] has charged a former key nuclear negotiator with espionage, the state news agency IRNA [official website] reported Wednesday. Hossein Mousavian was arrested [Al Jazeera report] in May on suspicions that he passed classified information to the British embassy and other foreigners. Mousavian is closely allied with former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani [official website, in Persian; BBC profile], a political opponent of current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [official profile, BBC profile]. A trial date has not been announced.

Mousavian worked for the Foreign Policy Committee of the Supreme Council for National Security in Iran until 2005, under then-top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani [BBC profile; JURIST news archive]. Larijani resigned [AFP report] in October due to alleged disagreement with Ahmadinejad, a move that many feared would further strengthen the president's control of nuclear policy. On Monday, Ahmadinejad called critics of his nuclear policy "traitors" [Al Jazeera report]. BBC News has more.