Jul. 25, 2003. 09:05 AM
Editorial: Get tough with Tehran
Pulling Canada's ambassador from Iran, as Prime Minister Jean Chretien has done, should be but the kickoff in a spirited campaign to draw global attention to the fatal injury suffered by a Canadian photojournalist in gravely suspicious circumstances in a Tehran prison.
Ottawa should also lobby for a United Nations probe of Zahra Kazemi's death, and press for the return of her remains.
Nor should we be put off by Tehran's allegation yesterday that Vancouver police "criminally" killed an Iranian earlier this month. Keyvan Tabesh was shot brandishing a machete at police.
Kazemi suffered a fatal blow to the head after she was arrested for taking pictures. Canadians want to know who authorized her arrest, how the injury occurred and whether anyone will be held to account.
Canada imports millions of dollars worth of luxury goods from Iran every year. We can get along with fewer Persian carpets, and less caviar and pistachio nuts, if Iran doesn't co-operate. And we don't have to continue hosting Iranian students here.
Kazemi's arrest and death was "horrible," as Chretien noted. And her speedy burial this week, thwarting a Canadian post-mortem, was contemptuous. Canadians are outraged, as are many Iranians. That anger must show.
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