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* Denmark to open dialogue with democratic opposition
* German prosecutor demands life sentences
* Further on the Bonn-Tehran tensions
* Amnesty International picks up FDI plea
* New crackdown on satellite dishes
* Six more executed
* Russia reportedly delivers Busheir reactors
* Nateq-Nouri is the only serious candidate
* Ansar-e Hezbollah demonstrate against liberals
* Fingers chopped again
* Mad dogs in Mazandaran...
Denmark to open dialogue with democratic opposition
The Danish parliament has passed a resolution "calling on thegovernment to open a dialogue with groups working for democracy andhuman rights in Iran."
The resolution, voted on Nov. 14, marks the third time sinceAugust that Copenhagen has broken ranks with the European Union overhow to deal with the clerical regime in Teheran.
On Aug. 15, the Danes announced they were suspending their"bilateral" dialogue with Teheran because of Iran's abysmal humanrights record. And on Oct. 28, they threatened to veto a EuropeanCommission plan to retaliate against U.S. trade sanctions on Iran,because the proposed measures would have compromised Danishsovereignty
Gert Petersen, the foreign affairs spokesman of the SocialistPeople's Party, was one of the driving forces behind theparliamentary move. "We have asked the government to insist thatIran's leaders respect international law, human rights, anddemocratic standards," he told FDI in a telephone interview. "We wantto stress that for us, human rights have a higher priority thaneconomic interest."
Denmark's largest independent newspaper, Information, ran a frontpage editorial on the effort to dialogue with democratic oppositiongroups," but noted that "until now neither the parliament or thegovernment have been able to pinpoint who they are."
"Part of the confusion stems from the fact that the parliament hasnot decided whether dialogue should be opened with groups who are100% democratic, or whether less will do," Information said. "Someparties think it advisable to open a dialogue with any group that isopposed to the Islamic Republic," including the Mujahidin-e Khalq,which in Denmark represents itself behind the front of the NationalCouncil of Resistance.
"If you talk to Kenneth R Timmerman, the director of theFoundation for Democracy in Iran, in ten minutes you will get a listof Iranian opposition organizations who do stand for Westernstandards of democracy and human rights: the ConstitutionalistsMovement of Iran (CMI), the Flag of Freedom Organization, theNational Movement for the Iranian Resistance (NAMIR), the IranPeople's Party (Jebh-e Melli Iran), the Iran Nation's Party, theKurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), the Fedayeen Majority, andthe Democracy Network of Iran (DNI)," Information went on.
"Some members of parliament say it could be acceptable to talk toorganizations which are not 100% democratic, in order to open adialogue with enemies of the Iranian government. Churchill could talkto Stalin in order to stop Hitler. In such a dialogue, Denmark shouldcriticize the behavior of organizations which are not 100%democratic. [...]
"The mullahs in Tehran have been accorded international legitimacythrough Europe and Denmark's' active trade, a policy which allows theIranians to trample on European protests over democracy and humanrights.
"If Denmark's defense of human rights and democracy in Iran is towin any respect, Danish policy toward Iran must change inconsequence. Until now, these ingredients have been missing.["Danish Double Standard," "Information" daily, Copenhagen,Denmark, 11/20/96, p1]
German prosecutor demands life sentences
The German state prosecutor, Bruno Jost, has asked to court tohand down life sentences against alleged Iranian intelligence agentsKazem Darabi and Abbas Rhayel, for their rolls in the 1992assassination of KDPI leader Sadegh Sharafkindi and three otherdissident Kurds in the Mykonos restaurant in Berlin. Darabi is anIranian national, while Rhayel is Lebanese. Jost also demanded 11years for Lebanese Youssef Amin, another member of the hit team. "Thebrazen attempts by the Tehran government to influence the proceedingspoint to this having happened on Iran's orders," he told thecourt.
Jost also commented that the trial had succeeded in "opening thedoor a bit to the headquarters of Iranian state terrorism and castinga look at the killing machine." [Reuters 11/15]
A verdict in the Mykonos case is expected sometime in January1997.
Further on the Bonn-Tehran tensions
The Islamic Republic has gone berserk over the accusation by theGerman State prosecutor that Tehran's top leaders, Ayatollah AliKhamene'i and President Hashemi-Rafsanjani, personally ordered theMykonos murders, and have had a hand in ordering the assassination ofother dissidents living in exile as well.
Three demonstrations have been held outside the German embassy inTehran over the past week. And on Sunday, Nov. 24, Foreign MinisterVelayati delivered a closed-door speech on the crisis to the Majlis.Although the fact of the speech was announced in the Tehran press, nodetails were released [Tehran Radio 11/25]
President Hashemi-Rafsanjani has been trying to calm the waters,undoubtedly recognizing that antagonizing Germany - the IslamicRepublic's best friend in Europe - could have disastrous consequencesfor the Tehran regime in its quest for legitimacy and high technologyin Europe.
Rafsanjani reassured an audience during Friday prayers in Tehranthat the German government was "not seeking to make trouble" betweenIran and Germany by the Mykonos case. A German court "cannot destroythe historic relations between Iran and Germany," he said. "The mainenemy of the Islamic Republic is Israel and the United States," andthese were the "real culprits" behind the Mykonos case.... [RadioTehran, 11/22]
Chancellor Kohl reportedly sent Rafsanjani a 2-page letter,stating his "unhappiness" with the recent chill and explaining thatthe courts in Germany "are independent." He also warned that if theattacks against Germany continue, it could "harm the friendlyrelations" between the two countries, Radio Israel reported[11/22].
Tehran television broadcast a different version of the Kohlletter, claiming that Kohl had demanded an apology from Tehran forthe threats against the German embassy in Tehran. [IRIB11/22]
In Bonn, the Islamic Republic ambassador Hossein Mossavian saidthat if the court convicted the Mykonos defendants, "the relationsbetween our two countries will darken... the continuation inrelations will be impossible." [Radio Israel, 11/22]
Commenting on the "siege of sorts" of the German embassy inTehran, the Wall Street Journal Europe ran an editorial calling for arevision of Europe's "critical dialogue" with Tehran. Given theviolent reaction in Tehran to the Mykonos trial, "we wonder how longit will take before the German government will admit that itseuphemistically named policy of "critical dialogue" with thetotalitarian theocracy is not yielding the hoped-for results."[11/22]
Despite all the tensions, German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkelsaid on Monday that Germany and the European Union would continue"critical dialogue" with Tehran. [dpa, 11/25/96]
Amnesty International picks up FDI plea
Amnesty International has picked up a plea, first launched by FDI,on behalf of Iranian journalist Faraj Sarkhoui, who disappeared onNov. 3 at Tehran's Mehrebad airport while attempting to board aflight for Frankfurt, Germany. (See Action Memoranda 27 and 28)
Amnesty noted that "if Faraj Sarkhoui is indeed in detention,Amnesty International believes that he is very likely a prisoner ofconscience... [and] should be immediately and unconditionallyreleased."
Sarkhoui was one of eight writers arrested on Sept. 8, 1996 whileattending a meeting to discuss a new charter for the Iranian WritersAssociation. [Amnesty International Urgent Action, 11/20/96]
New crackdown on satellite dishes
Now that the Voice of America has started weekly televisionbroadcasts in Farsi, the LEF have launched a new crackdown againstsatellite dishes, which were banned in April 1995 by order of theMajlis in an effort to prevent Iranians from viewing foreigntelevision broadcasts.
According to Reuters, police have brandished search warrants toenter private homes and seize satellite dishes in some Tehrandistricts in recent days. In some parts of town, LEF agents went doorto door asking people if they had outlawed satellite receivingequipment.
One popular VOA show presented Mahasti, a popular Iranian singerliving in the United States, who took questions from viewers callingfrom Iran. She and other exiled singers are portrayed as "decadent"by the regime.
VOA has also presented legal advice on how to emigrate to theUnited States. [Reuters, 11/25]
Six more executed
Six men were hanged on murder charges last Thursday, Iran dailyreported, including two brothers.
The men were hanged in Tehran's Qasr Prison, in the presence of ajudge.
The two brothers were said to have committed their crime inconcert, whereas the other four committed separate crimes last yearin the Tehran area. [Iran daily 11/24]
Russia reportedly delivers Busheir reactors
Foreign Minister announced on Nov. 23 in Tehran that Russia has"already delivered" nuclear reactors for the Bushehr power station,despite consistent reports that the Russian project has encounteredtechnical delays.
Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati told a Tehran pressconference: "There are no problems with Russia regarding the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the project will be completed on time.Everything is going according to schedule."
The first unit of the Bushehr was supposed to be completed by theyear 2000, however Russia has reportedly been hampered in itsdeliveries by the failure of the German firm Siemens, which beganconstruction on the project in 1974, to hand over blueprints to itsreactors and the different specifications of the Russianreplacements. The Russian reactors are similar to used in Chernobyl,that created the world's largest nuclear disaster in 1986.[Xinhua 11/23]
Nateq-Nouri is the only serious candidate
The spokesman for the Jameh-e Rouhaniyat-e Mobarez (known inEnglish various as the Militant Clerics Society, or the CombatantClergymen's Society) now says that the influential group hasofficially chosen Majlis speaker Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri as itscandidate for next year's presidential elections.
"Nateq-Nouri is a well-known revolutionary cleric," said Hojjat-oleslam Reza Taghavi, "and people have tested him in differentsituations."
Of the 17 Central Council members, 14 were present at the meetingwhich unanimously nominated Nateq-Nouri. [Resalat 11/6]
In the meantime, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mussavi - theapparent darling of the radicals - has rejected a call from the rivalMajma-e Rouhaniyat-e Mobarez (Militant Clergy Association) that hebecome a candidate. His refusal was "dictated by reason," he said,without providing any details. [Salam 10/28]
Kayhan International, which is close to the Ministry ofInformation and Security, commented that the reason for Mussavi'srefusal to become a candidate was "not known, but it is believed thatthe lack of support from the Majlis was crucial in influencing hisdecision."
"With Mussavi out of the race, observers are getting a clearerpicture of who the main candidates will be... The chances ofNateq-Nouri, who was officially declared the candidate by theright-wing Jameh-e Rouhaniat-e Mobarez, seem to be getting better,particularly after he received the backing of the influential Qomseminary," the paper said. [Kayhan International 11/6]
Ansar-e Hezbollah demonstrate against liberals
Ansar-e Hezbollah is at it again... As other factions have beenengaged in anti-German demonstrations, the radical group tied toAyatollah Ahmad Jannati (and others who are close to Supreme LeaderAli Khamene'i) held a demonstration front of the Majlis building inTehran on Tuesday morning, demanding the unseating of "liberal"members of Parliament such as Abdallah Nouri. A former Interiorminister in the first Rafsanjani cabinet, Nouri was ousted in acabinet reshuffle and has become a figurehead of sorts for thepro-Rafsanjani faction that appears to favor an easing of socialrestrictions and a return to a more rational foreign policy.[IRNA 11/26]
Fingers chopped again
Finger-chopping is once again "à-la-mode" in Tehran, onlyone week after the Islamic Republic officially rejected the latestreport from the United Nations Human Rights Commission on humanrights abuses in Iran.
According to Kayhan, the High Council of Justice handed down averdict condemning a man identified only as Mahmoud Kh., to get fourfingers of his right hand chopped off in Tehran. He was originallysentenced in Najaf-Abad, in Isfahan province, but was amputated inthe Tehran police headquarters "in the presence of a legal medicalcoroner." After his punishment, the man was transferred to hospital,Kayhan added. [11/6]
Incidents of finger-chopping have been on the increase in recentweeks. The last case was carried out in the town of Babol, as wereported in our Oct. 28 newswire.
Mad dogs in Mazandaran...
An astonishing rise in the number of vagrant dogs in the northernprovince of Mazandaran has created a dangerous health problem,officials say.
According to statistics compiled by local health departments inthe province, 6,400 human rabies cases were treated in differenthospitals and health centers in the province during the last Iranianyear. Most of those treated had been bitten by rapid dogs.
Health authorities complain they have insufficient resources toround up wandering dogs from the cities and villages of the province.[Resalat 11/6]