The Iranian website Baztab, which is identified with Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai, criticized the intent to air, on television, confessions to espionage by detained American academics of Iranian origin Drs. Haleh Esfandiari and Kian Tajbakhsh, who were arrested several months ago in Iran.

Baztab expressed amazement over the television airing of their confessions at the initial stages of the trial, and stated that Iranian law permits publication of information about the accused and about the crimes with which they are charged only after the final verdict has been handed down.

Source: Baztab, Iran, July 16, 2007