Stockholm  - Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt Tuesday said the European Union was prepared to take "further steps" to secure the release of local embassy employees and a French national held in Iran.

"We are prepared to take further steps if necessary, naturally in consultation with all 27 EU member states. But I believe the Iranians are aware that we are prepared to take further steps," Bildt told Swedish radio news.

Bildt declined to elaborate.

Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, issued a statement over the weekend criticizing Iran's mass trial of alleged dissidents.

Iranian staff at the British and French embassies in Tehran, as well as a French citizen, Clothilde Reiss, were among those charged with spying and involvement in protests in the wake of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election on June 12.

Bildt said the Iranian ambassador to Sweden on Monday was summoned to the Swedish foreign ministry, where the criticism was repeated.

"We absolutely reject that EU staff or EU citizens are subjected to this kind of show trial," Bildt said of the proceedings on Saturday.

Neighbouring Finland on Monday also summoned the Iranian ambassador to the foreign ministry to express concern over the mass trial, the Finnish foreign ministry said.

Iran on Monday rejected the EU criticism, saying the trials were legal internal matters of Iran. (dpa)