Tehran, Nov 25, IRNA -- Abbas Abdi and Hossein Qazian, who are held over a controversial polling about ties with the US will stand trial next week, the press reported on Monday.

The Persian-language 'Aftab-e Yazd' quoted the Judge investigating the case, Saeed Mortazavi, as saying that the court had inquired the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Abdi and the activities of Ayandeh Research Institute.

Mortazavi added that as the Ministry had furnished the court with a complete response in that connection, the court had decided to hold the trials of Abdi and Qazian next week.

He said that the court has carried out similar inquiries about Behrouz Geranpayeh and the activities of National Institute for Research and Opinion Polls with the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, stressing that Geranpayeh's trial will be announced once the ministries respond to the inquiries.

Mortazai further added that the three pollsters are held in Ward 325 of Tehran's Evin Prison.

Geranpayeh was arrested last month and his National Institute for Research and Opinion Polls was closed on espionage charges after his institute published a survey, claiming that two-thirds of citizens in Tehran favored resumption of talks with the US.

Also, Qazian and Abdi, both working at the Ayandeh (Future) Research Institute, were detained early this month and their center was ordered closed on similar charges.

The arrests drew sharp reactions in Iran when a group of 134 Iranian journalists in a letter to the nation Saturday hit out at the country's Judiciary for "interfering in political and factional issues" and called for the release of political prisoners.

The families of imprisoned polling officials are critical of their prison conditions, and have accordingly lodged a complaint with the Majlis Commission Article 90 in that connection.

... Payvand News - 11/25/02 ... --