Posted on 07/25/2004 4:58:52 PM PDT by Valin
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is not satisfied with an Iranian court's acquittal of the man accused of killing Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi and is mulling possible penalties against Tehran, Ottawa said on Sunday.
Intelligence Ministry agent Mohammad Reza Aqdam was cleared of "semi-intentional murder" due to lack of evidence. Kazemi was arrested a year ago after taking photos of a Tehran prison and died from a blow to the head while in detention. Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew issued a statement saying he was dissatisfied by the way Kazemi's case had been handled.
"This trial has done nothing to answer the real questions about how Zahra Kazemi died or to bring the perpetrators of her murder to justice," he said.
"Canada continues to insist that justice be done. The process has to be both transparent and credible. ... Canada is reviewing further options," he said. Ottawa has withdrawn its ambassador to Tehran in protest.
Kazemi's son, Stephan Hashemi, denounced Pettigrew's reaction as "ridiculous" and said Ottawa should be taking a much tougher line with Tehran.
"A Canadian citizen was tortured to death during a 72-hour interrogation, and over a year later the Canadian government is still reviewing its options after being humiliated, lied to and toyed around (with). ... I'm furious," he said in a statement.
The trial highlighted deep rifts between President Mohammad Khatami's reformist government and the hard-line judiciary. The Iranian government, human rights groups and lawyers for the Kazemi family had long said Aqdam was a scapegoat.
Kazemi's lawyers said they planned to lodge an appeal for the case to be reopened at a higher court.
"I hope that the Iranian judiciary will have the courage to act," said Pettigrew.
"It is cowardly for the Canadian government to hide behind Iranian lawyers," said Hashemi.
In Tehran, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi vowed not to rest until the killer of Kazemi was identified.
"I will pursue this case until my last breath," said human rights lawyer Ebadi, who is representing the family of Kazemi. She said key testimony had been ignored by the court.
Copyright © 2003 Reuters Limited.
Ping
The men in the prison beat the crap out of her with their shoes while she was detained, prior to the deathblow, right?
Now, just what did Canada expect?
I'm sure Iran is quaking in their boots with Canada being upset!!
Somebody needs to send a case of WHOGIVESASHIT to Ottowa.
The Iranian government barks the UN squeels and falls to it's feet, you think they're scared of the Pussyfoot Canadians?
And the Mullah's are going; "Yeah well what're you going to do about it? Tell Kofi A-NO-NO. Ya Got notin to scare us Canada. As much as ya been dissin the US, you'd be doing good if they gave you two Boy Scouts wit sling shots to help ya.
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