Iran's former nuclear negotiator Hossein Mousavian has been charged with giving classified information to foreigners including the British Embassy, local Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.

"His charge is passing on information to foreigners, including the British Embassy, against the interests and security of the country," Iran's Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie was quoted as saying.

"The accusation has been proved as far as intelligence ministry is concerned," he added.

Moussavian, one of Iran's nuclear negotiators who served under former president Mohammad Khatami until 2005, was released on bail after his brief detention in May on suspicion of espionage, but his case is not closed, according to Fars news agency.

He is now the deputy head of a research institute led by Hassan Rowhani, who was Iran's top nuclear negotiator under President Khatami.

Moussavian served as Iran's ambassador to Germany in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2007)