Iran Tries US Pastor on National Security Charges

An Iranian-American Christian pastor charged with plotting against state security appeared in a Tehran court on Monday, but will be released on bail, his lawyer told ISNA news agency. Saeed Abedini, a naturalized US citizen and Christian convert, denied "charges of establishing churches to disrupt national security" in Iran and colluding to carry out crimes, his Iran-based lawyer Nasser Sarbazi was quoted by AFP as saying. Abedini was not accused of espionage, Sarbazi said.