Second session of Clotilde Reiss trial to be held Wed.

A French academic who was arrested in Iran on charges of espionage after the presidential election in June will stand to trial in Tehran on Wednesday.

Clotilde Reiss, who is currently out on bail and staying at the French Embassy in Tehran, was arrested on July 1 on charges of aiding a Western plot against the Islamic Republic.

The second session of her trial is scheduled to be held on December 23 at Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, according to a statement issued by the Iranian Judiciary on Monday.

The statement says the French teaching assistant will have a lawyer defending her at the trial.

She is also accused of carrying out “a series of offenses, such as illegal residency, participation in illegal protests, and intelligence gathering for the French Embassy,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said shortly after her arrest.

France has asked for guarantees that the teaching assistant will be released. However, the call has been dismissed by Tehran due to the seriousness of the charges Reiss is facing.

On Friday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told AFP that the release of the French academic depends on France’s approach and behavior.

“Iran is willing to release Clotilde Reiss, who was arrested for taking part in the post-election protests, but this depends on the approach and behavior of French officials,” he said.