Defense lawyers for the 10 Iranian Jews convicted of spying for Israel said Sunday they cannot work on filing another appeal until last week's ruling is formally delivered.
Defense spokesman Ismail Nasseri told AFP that Thursday's appeals court decision, which upheld the convictions but cut the prison terms of each man by at least two years, had yet to be handed over to the defense team.
Nasseri dropped a bombshell allegation two days before the ruling that the defense had been pressured by unnamed court officials to admit its clients were spies or face espionage charges themselves.
The court rejected the allegations, and Nasseri said Sunday it was now uncertain whether the lawyers would be allowed to continue to defend the men.
Hossein-Ali Amiri, judiciary chief in the southern city of Shiraz where the men were convicted, said Friday the defense could still request a re-trial before a different court.
Judicial officials on Saturday denied that world opinion had pressured the appeals court into cutting the prison sentences of the men, who were first handed between four and 13 years each in July.
Tehran has repeatedly rejected international criticism of the case as interference in Iran's internal affairs.
Israel, which is not recognized by the Islamic republic, has denied any spy link to the men – TEHRAN (AFP)
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