KUWAIT CITY, Nov 14, (Agencies): The Iranian Embassy in Kuwait has denied reports that its home government has accused two Kuwaitis — Attorney Adel Al-Yahya and Raed Majid — who were arrested in Abadan Province, of spying.

According to the Embassy, the two Kuwaitis were arrested for violating tourist visa rules as they carried out activities prohibited for foreigners who hold such visas. The embassy confirmed the investigation is still ongoing and the concerned authorities are closely following up the case.

Meanwhile, a reliable source revealed the accused will most likely be released soon and return to Kuwait in the next 24 hours. He said Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Khalid Al-Jarallah has asked Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Rouhullah Qahremani Chabok to reach out to the authorities in Iran to secure the release of the two Kuwaitis. He added the Kuwaiti and Iranian officials have discussed ways to ensure the immediate release of the accused.

Moreover, an official from Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday refuted reports that the two Kuwaitis were arrested on suspicion of spying. He explained the two are working for a local satellite channel station and they went to Iran to record an episode of a social program, affirming they entered the country through legal means.

Agencies add:
Kuwait denied earlier that two of its citizens arrested in Iran were spying and summoned the Islamic republic’s ambassador to discuss the issue, state news agency KUNA reported on Monday.
“An official source at the foreign ministry categorically denied the accusation,” made against the two citizens, said a statement posted on KUNA late on Sunday.

The source said the two citizens were working for a private television channel and had obtained visas to enter the Islamic republic.

Iran’s Arabic-language satellite channel Al-Alam had earlier quoted local officials in Abadan, southwest of Iran, as saying that two Kuwaitis were arrested in the town on suspicion of spying and illegal entry.
Abdullah Kaabi, an Abadan MP also quoted by Al-Alam, said the pair were arrested on Friday and that they entered Iran “illegally.”

“The two Kuwaiti citizens are working for a private Kuwaiti television channel and were on an assignment for the channel,” the Kuwaiti foreign ministry said in a statement.

“They had obtained the necessary entry visas from Iranian authorities,” added the Kuwaiti statement. “We have initiated contact with Iranian authorities to get clarification and secure their release.”

But a statement issued by Iran’s embassy in Kuwait said the pair were arrested because they “committed an act contrary to their tourist visa and that the matter is under review by relevant authorities,” the official IRNA news agency reported on Monday. There were no further details.

Release
The Kuwaiti Journalists Association issued a statement on Monday demanding the immediate release of the two Kuwaiti media figures.

The two Kuwaitis were arrested by the Iranian.

The Association’s Secretary-General Faisal Al-Qinaei told reporters the Iranian accusation was a very strange one, and he demanded an apology for the arbitrary action against the two Kuwaiti nationals in addition to calling for their immediate release. Al-Yahya and Al-Majid had both entered Iranian territory with valid permits obtained from the embassy in Kuwait, which has knowledge of the visit and its objective, he said.

Al-Qinaei pointed out the special program the two were working on deals with the conditions and circumstances of children of Kuwaiti men with Iranian mothers.

“The association expresses extreme discontent with the Iranian treatment of the two Kuwaiti colleagues and, as representative of the press and media field in Kuwait, expresses its solidarity with them.
“We demand their immediate release, so as to prevent this case from taking on negative proportions that could compromise Kuwaiti-Iranian relations on all levels,” the statement said.