Protestors gathered outside a court in London yesterday as a former senior Iranian diplomat living in the North-East appeared in extradition proceedings.

Hade Soleimanpour, 47, of Kepier Court, Durham City, formerly Iran's ambassador to Argentina, is accused of involvement in a terrorist attack on a Jewish Centre in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires.

He appeared at Bow Street Magistrates' Court charged with conspiring to murder in the attack in 1994, which left 85 dead and 200 injured.

During the protest members of the Iranian community waved banners and flags, demanding Soleimanpour is returned to Argentina to face trial.

An application for bail offering a surety of £500,000 was declined by District Judge Christopher Pratt as chants from the protest could be heard. Soleimanpour was remanded in custody until September 19.

Banners stated "It's time to bring the Mullah's regime to justice for 450 terrorist attacks", and a spokesman said they wanted to ensure the defendant was not freed by the court.

Soleimanpour, a former diplomat in Spain and attached to the United Nations delegation in Iran, is now a research student in environmental studies at Durham University. He was arrested in the city on August 21.

Since February last year he has lived at Kepier Court with his wife and two children, aged seven and 15, while continuing his studies.

Previously his counsel, Michael Massah QC, said his client had been the subject of a political vendetta and strenuously denied involvement in the attack.