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Iran Facing Pressure to Cooperate with IAEA
Steve Herman
Tokyo
13 Oct 2004, 13:42 UTC
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| AP | |
| Richard Armitage (File photo) |
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Officials from the Group of Eight, including Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Undersecretary of State John Bolton, say they will explore a common strategy on Iran just days after Tehran rejected European efforts to halt the Islamic Republic's uranium enrichment program.
Speaking in Tokyo, Mr. Armitage praised Germany, the United Kingdom, and France for trying to stop Iran's program, saying the Iranians had made the decision to conceal it.
"They continue to hide their program and they have made some very scurrilous statements publicly. We hold a view that Iran needs to be brought to account," he said.
While saying Washington is open to all ideas, Mr. Armitage told reporters Tehran should understand that the G8 wants to see an Iran free of nuclear weapons.
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Tuesday his country would not be forced through negotiations to stop its enrichment activities.
The United States and others believe Iran's nuclear activities are aimed at developing atomic bombs. Iran says the program is for generating electricity and wants to enrich uranium so that it does not have to depend on imported fuel.
The United States has been pressing the International Atomic Energy Agency to find Iran in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog last month called on Tehran to halt its enrichment activities. The IAEA said it might refer the issue to the Security Council if Tehran fails to take action before the Agency's governors meet on November 25.
Iran cracks down on blog protests |
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"People charged for having illegal internet sites... will be put on trial soon," said a judiciary spokesman. The trials would be "open" and charges included "acting against national security, disturbing the public mind and insulting sanctities". Web journals flourish in Iran where the youthful, reform-hungry population has gone online for news and entertainment. The popularity of the internet has grown as hardline judges closed about 100 printed publications since 2000.
"We do not know where they are being held. We heard they have been kept in solitary confinement," a relative is quoted as saying. Correspondents say Iran has a poor record of press freedom, with more journalists behind bars than in any other Middle Eastern country. The head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, announced new laws specifically covering "cyber crimes" on Monday, AFP reported. According to the law, "anyone who disseminates information aimed at disturbing the public mind through computer systems or telecommunications... would be punished in accordance with the crime of disseminating lies". Journalist grounded Media freedom advocates have strongly protested against a travel ban imposed on Iranian journalist Emadedin Baghi, who was due to fly to the United States last week for an award recognising his work. Mr Baghi was jailed in 2000 for publishing articles criticising Iranian intelligence agents' role in the murder of intellectuals and dissidents in 1998. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said that even after his release in 2003 "the authorities continue to persecute" Mr Baghi. "Although it is too late for Emadeddin Baghi to receive his well-deserved Civil Courage Prize, we urge Iranian authorities to lift this travel ban immediately," said CPJ executive director Ann Cooper. Mr Baghi's passport was confiscated at Tehran's airport on 4 October and he was prevented from leaving Iran by security agents, citing a court order banning him from leaving the country. |
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TEHRAN, Oct 13 (AFP) - Iran has accused the European Union countries of committing "blatant human rights violations" in a response to fresh EU criticism of the Islamic republic's own record, press reports said Wednesday.
"The issue of violating the rights of Muslims, as well as other discriminatory laws regarding minorities, worries the Islamic republic of Iran," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi was quoted as saying.
"Regarding the blatant human rights violations in Europe, (Iran) expects European countries to take positive actions towards improving human rights."
A meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday resulted in a statement saying the bloc remained "deeply concerned (that) serious violations of human rights are continuing to occur in Iran."
The statement also said there has been "little overall progress" since a human rights dialogue between the EU and Iran began in December 2002.
The EU also voiced concern that "the situation with regard to the exercise of key civil rights and political freedoms such as freedom of expression has deteriorated since the parliamentary elections of February this year."
The Iranian parliament fell into the hands of hardliners and conservatives after most reformist candidates were barred from standing.
But Asefi said the EU declaration was based on "incorrect and inaccurate information", and accused the European of not understanding "the realities of the Iranian society."
"The Islamic republic of Iran, based on its religious values, indigenous culture and national agenda, is pursuing the improvement of human rights within the framework of its political and social development and so far there have been achievements," he said.
TEHRAN, Oct 13 (AFP) - Iran has accused the European Union countries of committing "blatant human rights violations" in a response to fresh EU criticism of the Islamic republic's own record, press reports said Wednesday.
"The issue of violating the rights of Muslims, as well as other discriminatory laws regarding minorities, worries the Islamic republic of Iran," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi was quoted as saying.
"Regarding the blatant human rights violations in Europe, (Iran) expects European countries to take positive actions towards improving human rights."
A meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday resulted in a statement saying the bloc remained "deeply concerned (that) serious violations of human rights are continuing to occur in Iran."
The statement also said there has been "little overall progress" since a human rights dialogue between the EU and Iran began in December 2002.
The EU also voiced concern that "the situation with regard to the exercise of key civil rights and political freedoms such as freedom of expression has deteriorated since the parliamentary elections of February this year."
The Iranian parliament fell into the hands of hardliners and conservatives after most reformist candidates were barred from standing.
But Asefi said the EU declaration was based on "incorrect and inaccurate information", and accused the European of not understanding "the realities of the Iranian society."
"The Islamic republic of Iran, based on its religious values, indigenous culture and national agenda, is pursuing the improvement of human rights within the framework of its political and social development and so far there have been achievements," he said.
We do not know where they are being held. We heard they have been kept in solitary confinement 