Iran's embassy in Britain deplores a decision by Queen's College of Oxford University to offer a graduate scholarship in Philosophy to Iranian students in memory of Neda Agha-Soltan.

In a letter to the chancellor of Oxford University, the Iranian embassy expressed surprise at the recent move in granting a graduate scholarship in Philosophy "in the name of a killed woman to attract Iranian students."

"It was a politically-motivated move," said the letter.

It seems that Oxford University is involved in a criminal case, which is still under investigation by the Iranian police, it added.

The embassy elaborated on the death of Agha-Soltan in a Tehran street as "far from the scene of protests erupted after the June presidential election".

Her death was a "complicated and planned" scenario which has been condemned by Iran's political parties while Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called on the judiciary to probe into the case, read the letter.

The Iranian embassy said "the involvement of the university in Iran's internal affairs, particularly in the country's post-election events of which the British media played a leading role, would lead to the loss of the university's scientific prestige and academic goals".

The embassy added, "This has nothing to do with the university's position and goals and will not help Iran and Britain improve their relations."

SF/SC/DT