Posted on 04/27/2004 11:11:43 AM PDT by nuconvert
Anti-Terrorism Plaque in Berlin Pits the Islamic Government against Germany
The unveiling last week of a small plaque commemorating the 1992 killings of anti-regime Kurdish leaders in Berlin's Mykonos restaurant has created a rift in the otherwise smooth relations between Germany and the Islamic Republic regime. We have information that the Islamic Republic officials tried hard, through meetings with Germany's foreign ministry officials, Berlin's mayor and others, to prevent the installation of the plaque, Berlin-based head of the society of Iranian political refugees Hamid Nowzari, who campaigned for the plaque, tells Radio Farda. The concept of installing a plaque came up two years ago in the ceremony held by the refugees' society to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Mykonos killings, he adds. Germany's Social Democrat and Green parties offered help, and legal issues were resolved last August, he adds. In response to pressures from Iran, the text on the plaque slightly changed. The plaque, unveiled six days ago in a big ceremony, says: four Kurdish activists, Sharafkandi, Ardalan, Abdali and Nouri-Dehkurdi, who struggled for freedom and democracy, were gunned down by the order of the former Iranian authorities, he says. A court in Germany found the Supreme Leader, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani and former intelligence minister Ali Falahian guilty for ordering the killings, which were carried out by intelligence ministry agents with the help of a Lebanese gunman. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne)
The Islamic Republic foreign ministry protested against the unveiling of the Mykonos plaque, writes Der Spiegel. The plaque disturbed relations between Tehran and Berlin, writes Berliner Morgenpost. Iran closed German language classes of the Goethe Institute, reports Focus. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne)
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