Ex-hostage taker Ebtekar in Vienna: Austrian government is cozying up to Iran's Islamist terror sponsoring regime

Ministers Kurz and Rupprechter courting Iran's Vice President

On September 13th, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz and Environment Minister Andrae Rupprechter (both Austrian People’s Party ÖVP) will be receiving Iran's Vice President Massoumeh Ebtekar in Vienna. The People’s Party's Political Academy, whose chairman is FM Kurz, will honor Ebtekar with a reception later in the evening.

In 1979, Ebtekar was the spokeswoman of the hostage takers in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. She then declared she was ready to shoot the hostages. And just last year on CNN Ebtekar defended the slogan "Death to Israel!".

Said Stephan Grigat, STOP THE BOMB’s Research Director: "The Austrian People's Party apparently bets on increased collaboration and trading with the Islamist Iranian regime which sponsors terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas and calls for the annihilation of Israel. Rouhani's and Ebtekar's government was involved in this year's Holocaust denial competition via its Ministry of Culture. Foreign Minister Kurz likes to emphasize Austria's responsibility for Israel and has called for action to fight antisemitism - but how does this go together with receiving representatives of the Iranian regime?"