Q+A: Iran's trial of French national, embassy workers

(Reuters) - An Iranian court on Saturday charged a French woman, two Iranians working for the British and French embassies in Tehran and dozens of others with spying and aiding a Western plot to overthrow the system of clerical rule.

It was the second mass trial in a week aimed at uprooting the moderate opposition and ending protests that erupted after the disputed June 12 presidential election.

WHY IS IRAN PUTTING A FRENCH NATIONAL, AN IRANIAN WORKING FOR THE FRENCH EMBASSY AND AN IRANIAN WORKING FOR BRITISH EMBASSY ON TRIAL?

The accused are charged with spying and aiding a Western plot. But Iran in he past has often arrested foreigners to pressure the West, particularly the United States and Britain. Tehran has always been worried about a Western plot to overthrow the clerical establishment.

France and Britain in the past few months have played an active role in Iran's nuclear standoff with the West, pushing for more sanctions over Tehran's defiance to halt sensitive uranium enrichment activities. Iran may want to use the detainees as a card to alleviate that pressure.

The aftermath of the election is an opportunity to try and teach the West a lesson over its vulnerability in Iran.

The West accuses Iran of using its nuclear programme as a front to acquire bombs. Iran says its nuclear work is aimed at generating electricity for domestic use.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE MODERATES WHO ARE ON TRIAL ALONGSIDE THE EMBASSY STAFF?

Iranian hardliners accuse moderates of being supported by the West. In the trial, moderates were accused of receiving financial help from abroad to topple the ruling clergy.

The clerical establishment aims at uprooting moderate opposition by using the post-election unrest.

HOW CREDIBLE ARE THESE TRIALS TO IRANIANS IN GENERAL, DO THEY BELIEVE IN THEIR LEGITIMACY?

Iran has often broadcast confessions in the past from those accused of threatening state security. Many Iranians doubt these confessions. The mass trial of moderates has been denounced by leading reformer, including former President Mohammad Khatami and opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi, as a "show trial."

Many Iranians reject legitimacy of such trials, believing that confessions were taken under duress.

TO WHAT EXTENT DO IRANIANS BELIEVE THAT FOREIGN POWERS ARE BEHIND THE UNREST?

The Iranians cannot forget the role Britain played inciting the 1953 coup to topple Iran's nationalist Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Mosadeq. The United States was also the main backer of the shah, overthrown by Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

However, this does not necessarily mean moderate Iranians believe in the official accusations about the West's "meddling" in Iran's June presidential vote.

IS THE CLERICAL LEADERSHIP TRYING TO DISTRACT PEOPLE FROM THE UNREST OVER THE ELECTION BY BLAMING FOREIGN POWERS?

It is has been difficult for the authorities to accept that 30 years after the revolution tens of thousand people staged protests against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, defying Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who endorsed the election result.

IS JAIL A REAL POSSIBILITY IN THIS CASE? WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF CLEMENCY?

In similar cases in the past detainees have been sentenced to prison, but were pardoned shortly after their verdicts were issued as a goodwill gesture to the West.