Posted on 05/14/2004 4:34:32 PM PDT by nuconvert
Families of the 12 Missing Iranian Jews Petition High Court
May 13, 2004
IMRA
imra.org.il
Families of the 12 Jews Missing in Iran to High Court: No Release Deal For Kuntar Without Info Concerning Our Loved Ones.
This morning, May 13, 2004, at 10:00 am the families of 12 Jews who are missing in Iran, will petition the High Court of Justice to block the second part of the exchange deal with Hezbullah concerning Ron Arad. The families are demanding that Israel not release imprisoned Palestinian terrorist Samir Kuntar before obtaining information from Iran on the fate of their family members. The 12 Persian Jews had all disappeared during efforts to smuggle themselves out of Iran on their way to Israel during the years 1994-97.
The missing Jews were to be smuggled from Iran to Pakistan in a program operated by the Jewish Agency. However, during their escape the 12 never arrived at the designated meeting place and since then the families have been unable to learn any information concerning their circumstances. The missing Jews are: The missing Jews are:
* Ebrahim Kohen-Maslikh, 16 * Homayoon Balazadeh, 41 * Kamran Salari, 21 * Babak Shaoulian Tehrani, 17 * Shaheen Nikkhoo, 18 * Omid Solouki, 15 * Reuben Kohen-Maslikh, 17 * Ibrahim Achremany, 47 * Cyrus Achremany, 42 * Farhad Ezzati, 21 * Norallah Rabi-Zadeh, 50 * Es-Haagh Hassid, 59
During the past years, the Israeli government requested that the families remain silent about the missing Jews with the promise that it was working behind-the-scenes to locate and rescue them.
Only recently the families began to suspect that Israeli officials were not carrying out any efforts to help find their loved ones. When details of the deal concerning the release of Lebanese terrorist Durani and Obed in exchange for Elchanan Tannebaum materialized, the families realized that the Israeli government had been deceiving them and that no information was being sought about the 12 missing Jews.
The families' High Court petition demands that Israel not carry out the second stage of the prisoner exchange with Hezbullah without receiving accurate information from Iran concerning the disappeared Jews. The deal, as it is currently agreed to, would have Israel release Palestinian terrorist Samir Kuntar in return for the Iranian-backed Hezbullah providing confirmable information on the fate of missing Israeli airman Ron Arad.
The families write in their High Court petition that Kuntar is the last card that Israel holds which could influence Iran to provide information and if the government does not act now for the 12 missing Jews there will be no future opportunity to do so.
In the court papers, to be filed by attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the families noted that they have been pleading with government officials for as long as ten years to act for their missing loved ones without any meaningful response. They demand that Israel now undertake all efforts to obtain information and not release the final bargaining chip to Hezbullah without making the 12 Jews' fate a central component. Some of the missing are husbands who have left wives with children now categorized as "agunot" who cannot remarry.
The families will be available to speak to the press today, May 13, 2004, at 10:00 am in the Supreme Court in Jerusalem.
For More Information: 972-53-513-953 or email: info@israellawcenter.org
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