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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 19 - June 27, 2000

Toronto, June 27, 2000… Uncertainty and ambiguity continue as the verdict draws near for the 13 Iranian Jewish captives, now finally scheduled for sentencing on July 1, 2000. Whereas recent official statements had indicated that the death penalty would not apply to the specific charges against the defendants, the Attorney General Ayatollah Mukhtadeh stated on Sunday that they could in fact be eligible for death sentences. Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, he asserted that they had been found “culpable of spying for the Zionist regime”, even though the official verdict has not yet been announced.

A swift contradiction followed yesterday from Hossein Ali-Amiri, Head of the Justice Department of the Fars province who has jurisdiction over the proceedings in Shiraz, indicating apparent tension and disagreement between the central authorities and the local judiciary over how to handle the case. “The defendants are only accused of 'acts against national security' and the charge of 'Moharebeh' (waging war against G-d) has been dropped, hence they would not face capital punishment”, he announced. He even referred to the likelihood of some of the defendants being acquitted, according to IRNA, the official Iranian news agency. In a further challenge to the Attorney General’s premature reference to the defendents’ “culpability”, Ali-Amiri reiterated that although the official proceedings have ended, “…the case of all the defendants are [sic] not yet over…”

The trial of the 13 Jewish defendants took place in only ten sessions, but authorities announced that details of the case have been issued in 17 volumes, containing 2,853 pages and 237 judicial rulings, as well as 116 “queries and responses… gathered by the court from various sources”. The authorities will no doubt attempt to bolster up their case with mountains of documents and legalese, but it is becoming more evident that political considerations will factor into what will be presented as a judicial ruling.

There were hopes that the recent electoral successes of Iran’s reformist faction, now heavily represented in the new parliament (Majlis), would provide a more conducive atmosphere for the proceedings against the 13 Iranian Jews and their Muslim co-defendants. The reformists have made moves towards amending repressive press laws, for example, in order to guarantee greater transparency in court proceedings in general. However, such initiatives can easily be undermined by the conservative Council of Guardians, which still has the power to veto any new legislation. The reformists also have to reckon with ongoing challenges to their freedom of expression. Bayan just became the 19th independent newspaper to be closed down following an editorial denouncing the judiciary as being dominated by political considerations.

In such a tightly controlled regime, where the central authorities are able to manipulate the local judiciary, observers are anticipating the coming verdict with considerable trepidation.

	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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