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There is no greater mitzvah than Redemption of Captives
Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Hilchot Matanot Ani’im, Chapter 8, Article 10

IRAN UPDATE 17 - June 8, 2000

Toronto, June 8, 2000… While some analysts predict that most countries will maintain their current relationship with Iran even if the 13 Jewish defendants receive long prison sentences, Dutch Foreign Minister Jozias van Aartsen has warned the Iranian Government that foreign investment could be jeopardized. In an apparent attempt to address concerns expressed by western governments, Mehdi Karrub, interim Parliamentary Speaker of the newly elected Parliament (Majlis), recently stated that “…because of Islamic compassion and national interests, harsh sentences will not be imposed as far as I know”. However, there are still concerns that an example will be made of at least some of the accused. The populace in Iran will certainly expect a public display of "Iranian justice" after the way that the defendants have been portrayed in the national media.

The final written defence submissions have been submitted to the Shiraz Revolutionary Court and the defence lawyers have called for the acquittal of their clients due to "insufficient evidence". Sentencing is due to take place after all the arguments have been presented, but it is unclear whether this also includes the hearings for the Muslim suspects said to be associated with the case. In any event, there are indications that the sentencing phase is imminent.

The trial judge only recently revoked bail for two of the alleged Muslim accomplices, citing “mounting evidence against them”, while the head of the local judiciary warned that more arrests are possible. “Some of the Muslims were compromised in very bad situations”, he said in an interview with Iran News last week. “Some of them are military men… and they gave away intelligence when they were either intoxicated or in a compromising situation.” Earlier this month, Amiri described "wild parties" that the Jewish defendants were accused of throwing in order to recruit accomplices. Now it appears it will be alleged that it was the Muslim "accomplices" who were recruited in this way, though their identity remains a closely guarded secret.

Experts in the West doubt that this trial is about espionage. Reuel Marc Gerecht, former Middle Eastern specialist at the CIA, noted in the Wall Street Journal (June 7, 2000) the improbability of the whole scenario: “It is impossible for a Jew in the Islamic Republic to have access to anything remotely sensitive. As possible 'support assets' - agents who do only administrative tasks for intelligence services - Iranian Jews would be an absurd choice, since they are constantly under suspicion because of their religion…”

Meanwhile, four representatives of Neturei Karta, the fiercely anti-Zionist ultra orthodox Jewish sect, arrived in Iran at the invitation of the Foreign Ministry and State Broadcasting Authority. Clearly, this "mission of friendship" by such staunch opponents of the State of Israel has deep political overtones, especially given that many visa applicants, including B’nai Brith Canada representatives, were rejected in their bid to visit Iran at this critical time.

	The B'nai Brith Canada Institute for International Affairs has a mandate to protest the abuse of human rights throughout the world and advocate on behalf of worldwide Jewish communities in distress. The Institute has a special focus on pro-Israel advocacy and education.
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