For Immediate Release
(Toronto, March 31, 2000...) As the long awaited trial date approaches for the 13 Iranian Jews arrested over a year ago on charges of espionage, the international human rights community has reacted with concern to signs that judicial norms will not be respected.
Deprived of legal counsel for almost a year, once the trial date had finally been set the detainees were initially promised they could retain the lawyers of their choice, in accordance with their rights under the Iranian Constitution. However, apart from three prisoners recently released on bail, the remaining detainees have been unable to sign retainer agreements since they have no access to legal counsel while in jail.
Dr. Lawrence Hart, President of B’nai Brith Canada, cautioned: “This fresh assault on the legal rights of the accused means that they will be forced to accept court appointees since any lawyer they might choose has effectively been prevented from receiving accreditation to the court. This procedural anomaly has undermined the prisoners’ most basic human rights.”
In view of such indications that internationally accepted judicial standards are not being respected in this case, B’nai Brith Canada has requested observer status at the trial. Frank Dimant, Executive Vice-President, added: “Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and other high-ranking government officials have repeatedly promised a free and open trial, assurances that can only be guaranteed by the presence of international observers and the media. The international human rights community cannot be excluded from what will be, in effect, a litmus test of how the new Iranian Government means to conduct itself in relation to its constitutional and international guarantees.”
The individuals who have requested observer status are Frank Dimant, Executive Vice-President of B’nai Brith Canada, Brian Morris, Legal Counsel and Past President, and David Matas, Senior Legal Counsel and human rights activist.
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