Iran's insult to justice
It is high time that the Canadian government reconsider its friendly bilateral relations with a tyrannical theocracy that calls itself the Islamic Republic of Iran. The tragic fate of Zahra Kazemi is not just about the human rights situation in Iran, it is also about the human rights situation in Canada. Zahra Kazemi was a chosen Canadian. She chose this country as her home, and the Iranian government must be made to understand that it cannot simply murder a Canadian journalist and get away with it.
As a community that numbers more than 300,000, Iranian Canadians have been witness to thousands of Zahra Kazemis. We were neither shocked nor surprised to learn of how Kazemi was killed. We were, however, bewildered as to the Canadian government's profession of surprise, not only about the killing of Kazemi but also about the Iranian government's obstruction of justice. This is a regime that for the past 25 years has made terror and torture a cornerstone of its foreign and domestic policy. It is unfortunate that it took 25 years, and the murder of a Canadian photojournalist, for the Canadian government to realize this.
If Canada wants to remain a catalyst for human rights it cannot allow for Kazemi's death to have been in vain. Canada must continue its path to seeking justice on behalf of Kazemi and her family, and ensure that the Iranian government realizes it will be held accountable for its actions.
http://en.nufdi.org/Editorial/Editorial_ma...?Editorialha=29
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Canada names new ambassador to Iran as diplomatic showdown cools
AFP - World News (via Yahoo)
Nov 23, 2004
OTTAWA - Canada said it was sending a new ambassador to Iran, to replace a previous envoy recalled during a damaging diplomatic spat over the death of an Iranian-Canadian photographer mortally injured in jail.
Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew said it was crucial for Canada to have top level representation in Tehran in the heat of a controversy over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
But he warned that Canadians believed the treatment of the journalist, Zahra Kazemi, and Iran's handling of the inquiry into her death in 2003, was offensive.
"It is important to resume our full diplomatic presence in Iran at this juncture," Pettigrew said in a statement.
"Our Ambassador will be responsible for representing Canada's views on Iran's nuclear program at a time when Canada chairs the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency."
But Pettigrew warned Tehran should expect no let-up in Canada's demands for answers on the Kazemi case.
"Canada remains deeply committed to this case ... Justice denied is offensive to Canadians. This case will be pursued energetically."
New ambassador Gordon Venner will replace former top envoy Philip MacKinnon who was recalled to Ottawa in July 2004, in protest after Canadian diplomats were barred from attending a court case in the Kazemi case.
Kazemi, 56, died in hospital after sustaining a blow in custody.
Between her arrest and her admission to hospital, Kazemi was interrogated by judicial prosecutors, the police and the intelligence ministry, rival power centres in Iran which have since blamed each other for the death.
Intelligence ministry agent, Mohammad Reza Aghdam Ahmadi, 42, was cleared of "quasi-intentional murder" in July, and the judiciary said later Kazemi's death seemed to have been accidental as "the only suspect" had been found not guilty.
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COOLS!!!???
The killers are still in the "sensitive" positions as they were before! Nothing has been done to make justice in regards to Mrs Kazemi's brutal killing!
CUT DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH THE ISLAMIC REGIME IN IRAN NOW!
Ba Sepaas
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Canada-Iran Ties Blasted
November 24, 2004
Toronto Sun
Kathleen Harris
Supporters of Zahra Kazemi are outraged that Ottawa is mending diplomatic ties with Iran as Tehran continues to snub a request to return the slain photojournalist's remains to Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew announced in Ottawa yesterday that Gordon Venner will assume duties as Canada's ambassador to Iran. Ottawa recalled its ambassador in July to protest Iran's injustice in the Kazemi case.
Insisting Canada remains "deeply committed" to the case, Pettigrew said it's important to resume full diplomatic presence to press human rights concerns and Canada's views on Iran's nuclear program.
"Justice denied is offensive to Canadians," he said in a statement. "This case will be pursued energetically."
MASSIVE BLOW TO HEAD
Kazemi, 56, died in an Iranian hospital in July 2003 after she received a massive blow to the head. The Iranian-Canadian was struck while in custody after she was arrested for taking pictures outside Tehran's notorious Evin prison.
Rod Macdonell, executive director of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, said the diplomatic "cave" lifts pressure on Iran to serve justice. The move signals impunity for Kazemi's killer, he said.
"There's no indication the situation has changed one iota with regard to the murdered photojournalist," Macdonell said. "I fail to understand what has changed."
Conservative MP Stockwell Day said the new ambassador must make the Kazemi case an "overriding" priority of his mandate.
"The government should be aggressively saying that it's already overtime. This should have been resolved and the ambassador will use every opportunity to push and pursue a resolution in the case," he said.
CANADA BETTER SERVED
NDP MP Alexa McDonough said Canada is better served by having a diplomatic presence in Iran.
"It's certainly clear that the Iranian government has not satisfactorily addressed the Kazemi fiasco, but at the same time, when there's an empty chair there's no dialogue ..."
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DIALOGUE!!! With what! A pieace of stinking SHIITE clergy!? With an animal who only understands the language of death and violence!? With a hysterical islamists thug wielding a club! Dialogue with a savage who kills for fun!? HYPOCRISY at its best! The world KNOWS what kind of barbaric government the IRI is so when they come and talk about having dialouges or dialouges amongst civilizations you should all know its a FARCE!!!
Ba Sepaas
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Iran cautions Canada against following case of murdered photographer
TEHRAN –AFP- Canada's newly-appointed ambassador to Iran will get into "trouble" if he pursues the case of murdered Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi, Iran's foreign ministry warned Sunday.
"If anyone enters Iran on this mission they get themselves into trouble. This is a domestic issue of the Islamic Republic of Iran," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.
Last week Canada named a new ambassador to Iran, to replace an envoy recalled during a diplomatic spat over Kazemi's death and the subsequent failure of Iranian authorities to identify her killer.
In naming new ambassador Gordon Venner, Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew said it was crucial for Canada to have top level representation in Tehran and he warned that Canadians believed that Iran's handling of the Kazemi case was "offensive".
"Canada remains deeply committed to this case ... Justice denied is offensive to Canadians. This case will be pursued energetically," Pettigrew said on Tuesday.
Kazemi, 56, died in hospital here in July 2003 after sustaining a blow in custody.
Between her arrest and her admission to hospital, Kazemi was interrogated by judicial prosecutors, the police and the intelligence ministry, rival power centres in Iran, which have since blamed each other for the death.
Intelligence ministry agent Mohammad Reza Aghdam Ahmadi, 42, was cleared of "quasi-intentional murder" in July 2004, and the judiciary said later Kazemi's death seemed to have been accidental as "the only suspect" had been found not guilty.
But despite his warning to Canada, Asefi said the case was still being pursued.
"It is nevertheless being followed up by the government and the judiciary, and I hope the rights of nobody, including those of the Kazemi family, are ignored," he told reporters.
The case had badly damaged relations between Iran and Canada. Iran does not recognise dual nationality, and insists Canada has no say in the matter.
http://www.iranpressnews.com/english/sourc...rce/001599.html
