Iran denies arrest of Swiss diplomat

TEHRAN, Feb. 7 -- Iranian police department on Saturday denied the arrest of a Swiss diplomat in Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"The Iranian police officially denies such baseless reports," Colonel Mehdi Ahmadi told IRNA.

Earlier on Thursday the local Press TV website reported that "The First Secretary of the U.S. Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran is released after being arrested on sexual abuse charges."

"According to Iranian police, the diplomat had an indecent sexual relation with an Iranian woman in his car in public after promising her marriage," Press TV quoted Iran's daily Entekhab.

Press TV said it had contacted the deputy head of the U.S. Interest Section in Tehran Elizabeth Bucher, but she would not comment on the report.

The U.S. Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran represents the United States in Iran.

The United States and Iran have not had official diplomatic relations in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.