Sarkozy calls for release of French academic in Iran

PARIS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday called for the release of a young French academic arrested last week in Iran on a charge of spying.

"Let me say in the clearest and simplest way possible: we demand the release of our compatriot.

The accusations of spying are pure fantasy and there is no reason for them," Sarkozy said at a joint news conference with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visiting here.

According to French officials, Clotilde Reiss, a 23 year-old lecturer at Ispahan university in central Iran, was arrested at Tehran airport on July 1 on her way back to France. Iranian authorities accused her of espionage and took her to Tehran's Evin prison.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday Iran's arrest was based on some photos Reiss took with her cell phone about the protesting demonstration after the June 12 presidential election. He dismissed the accusation of espionage as "absurd."

French Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador on Monday to express the demand of Reiss' release but didn't confirm her whereabouts.