STOP THE BOMB demands: Revolutionary Guards on the terror list now!

Berlin, December 11, 2022

The STOP THE BOMB campaign calls on the German government to strongly advocate for the inclusion of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) on the EU terror list at the EU Foreign Ministers meeting next Monday. This demand is also made by numerous politicians, including 41 Germans. [1]

The Islamic Republic uses brutal violence, death sentences and executions against people who take to the streets for their freedom and basic rights. On December 8, 23-year-old Mohsen Shekari was executed. Thousands of political prisoners also face the death penalty.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker explains: "The Iranian people want to get rid of the regime, which acts with terror internally and externally. The German government and the EU must understand that the time of the Islamic Republic of Iran is over. The rulers in Iran no longer have any legitimacy and must not be further legitimized from the outside under any circumstances. Instead, it is important to act with great determination alongside the Iranian people against the rulers of the terror regime with maximum pressure. A terror listing of the Revolutionary Guards would weaken the repressive apparatus and at the same time send an important signal of solidarity to the freedom movement in Iran. However, it is absolutely crucial that the EU and the German government act quickly and decisively now. Supporting the Iranian people is the best guarantee for solving all the problems that the terror regime in Iran has caused in the region."

The EU has so far only sanctioned individual members of the Revolutionary Guards. [2] Statements by the German government give the impression that it is not consistently working on listing Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terror group as the government announced in October. For example, Katja Keul, Minister of State in the German Foreign Ministry, recently stated that concrete investigations or convictions for terrorist activities are a necessary prerequisite that has not yet been met. [3]

However, this statement is not tenable:

• In January 2018, police conducted searches in Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and North Rhine-Westphalia against suspected members of the Revolutionary Guards who were suspected of planning terrorist attacks against Jewish individuals and institutions. [4]
  
  
• Currently, the Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating several antisemitic attacks in North Rhine-Westphalia on suspicion that they were planned by the Revolutionary Guards. [5]
  
  
• In 2017, a final verdict was issued by a German court against a member of the IRGC Quds Brigades who spied on the former chairman of the German-Israeli Society Reinhold Robbe as a potential target for an attack. [6]

Ulrike Becker comments: "The German government must not hesitate to advance the terror listing of the Revolutionary Guards in order to revive the nuclear deal. A return to the JCPOA would not prevent a nuclear bomb, but would legalize the Iranian nuclear program in the shortest possible time [7] and provide the Mullah regime with funds and reputation. This would be a stab in the back of the freedom movement. If Germany and Europe really want to prevent a nuclear regime, now is the time for standing with the freedom movement in Iran. Only a free Iran will not threaten its own people or its neighbors, either nuclear or conventionally. What is crucial now: No more support for the regime, but every support for the Iranian freedom movement. The German government must additionally cut off all funds by the Iranian terror regime in Germany."

[1] https://transatlanticinstitute.org/campaign/transatlantic-statement-iran, see also https://twitter.com/n_roettgen/status/1601147328748195841, https://www.newsweek.com/call-irans-revolutionary-guards-what-they-are-terrorists-opinion-1765451   

[2] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/de/press/press-releases/2022/11/14/iran-eu-adopts-additional-sanctions-against-perpetrators-of-serious-human-rights-violations/ 

[3] https://www.bundestag.de/resource/blob/414428/e86b7f9d816665d23845594fb339c037/WD-11-011-11-pdf-data.pdf and https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/newsroom/regierungspressekonferenz/2568802 

[4] https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/polizei-stuermt-wohnungen-iranischer-agenten-israelische-ziele-im-gesamten-bundesgebiet-ausgespaeht_id_8306083.html; see also: http://de.stopthebomb.net/aktionen/merkel-brief.html.

[5] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article242464761/NRW-Bundesanwaltschaft-ermittelt-nun-zu-Synagogen-Anschlaegen.html. See also: https://taz.de/Anschlaege-auf-Synagogen-in-NRW/!5899893/ 

[6] https://www.dw.com/de/irans-botschafter-nach-spionagefall-einbestellt/a-42075170  

[7] https://www.stopthebomb.de/de/text-audio-und-video/atomprogramm.html

A Matter of Pride: STOP THE BOMB on Iranian Sanctions List

The attack on Salman Rushdie must have consequences

STOP THE BOMB campaign calls for turning point in Iran policy.

Berlin, 16.8.2022

The attack on Salman Rushdie is a result of the Iranian regime's calls for murder. The assassination was carried out by a supporter of the Islamic Republic who, according to press reports, had direct contacts with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. [1]

Contrary to media reports to the contrary, the Islamic Republic's leadership never rescinded Khomeini's 1989 death fatwa against Salman Rushdie. In 2005, the regime's deciding man, Ali Khamenei, clarified that the fatwa remained valid. [2] In 2017, the revolutionary leader posted an endorsement of the murder call on his English-language website. The post, which is still visible today, states in response to a question about whether the fatwa against 'the accursed liar Salman Rushdie is still in force': 'The fatwa is as Imam Khomeini issued it.' [3] Two years later, however, Khamenei tweeted again that the death fatwa was irrevocable. [4] In Iran, various media outlets currently praise the perpetrator. [5]

STOP THE BOMB Scientific Director Stephan Grigat comments: "There can be no doubt that the attack on Rushdie is the direct result of Khomeini's death fatwa and its repeated confirmation by the current Supreme Leader Khamenei. There must be consequences: The appeasement policy toward the regime in Tehran must end. As a first step, the Iranian embassies, from which terrorist attacks are repeatedly planned and exiled Iranians spied on, should be closed in all European capitals. The 'Islamic Center Hamburg,' which according to the Verfassungsschutz Hamburg is an 'outpost' of the Iranian regime, should also be closed."

In Europe, Iranian regime assassination plots are court-ordered. Over 540 exiled Iranians have been murdered or kidnapped by the Islamic Republic's agents abroad. [6] In May 2021, an Iranian diplomat was sentenced to twenty years in prison by a Belgian court for preparing a bomb attack on a gathering of Iranian oppositionists in Paris. [7]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker calls for a change of course in Iran policy: "There can be no 'normal' diplomacy with a regime whose diplomats act as terrorists all over the world. We call for a change of course in Iran policy: The Iran policy, which is geared toward cooperation, must be ended. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards must be put on the terror lists and nuclear provocations must be answered with tough sanctions. There must be no more cooperation with Iran regime lobbyists. Instead, there must finally be consistent support for the democratic and secular opposition in Iran."

^{[1] https://www.vice.com/en/article/88qxvz/salman-rushdie-hadi-matar-revolutionary-guard}

^{[2] https://www.mena-watch.com/orf-unwahrheit-uber-khomeinis-fatwa/}

^{[3] https://english.khamenei.ir/news/4634/Ayatollah-Khamenei-s-fatwa-on-Salman-Rushdie-s-apostasy-from}

^{[4] https://jungle.world/blog/von-tunis-nach-teheran/2022/08/mordversuch-salman-rushdie-die-todesfatwa-ist-noch-immer}

^{[5] https://www.reuters.com/world/irans-hardline-newspapers-praise-salman-rushdies-attacker-2022-08-13}

^{[6] https://www.iranrights.org/newsletter/issue/120}   

^{[7] https://www.stopthebomb.de/de/presse/presseaussendungen.html#c3751}

Plans for release of Iranian terrorist?

STOP THE BOMB demands distancing of the German government and consequent anti-terror measures

Berlin, 4.7.2022

The STOP THE BOMB campaign condemns a bill planned in Belgium to allow the transfer of a convicted top Iranian terrorist to Iran and calls on the German government to distance itself from the planned deal and not to support similar agreements.

According to press reports [1], a bill will be submitted to the Belgian parliament for a vote this week that would make it possible to release Assadollah Assadi, an embassy official sentenced to 20 years in prison [2] for a 2018 attempted attack on Iranian opposition members of the 'National Council of Resistance'.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker commented, "The planned release of top terrorist Assadi endangers security throughout Europe. It would encourage the Iranian regime, which continues to plan attacks, to further terror. It is to be feared that this deal has been colluded among European governments that continue to cling to an illusory return to the nuclear deal with Tehran. The German government is called upon to protect its citizens against the terror of the Islamist regime. Consistent would be the closure of the Iranian embassy and other regime institutions such as the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), which pose an immediate terror threat to the citizens of the Federal Republic, especially to opposition members from Iran and Jews."

Over 540 exiled Iranians have been murdered or kidnapped by the Islamic Republic's agents abroad. [3] In 1997, a German court convicted the Islamic Republic's state leadership of the Mykonos terrorist attack in Berlin that left four dead. The court named Iranian leaders as directly responsible. [4]

[1] https://www.iranintl.com/en/202207015361, https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2022/07/01/en-belgique-un-projet-de-loi-pourrait-permettre-de-renvoyer-en-iran-le-cerveau-de-l-attentat-rate-de-villepinte_6133000_3210.html

[2] https://www.stopthebomb.de/en/press/press-releases.html#c3759

[3] https://www.iranrights.org/newsletter/issue/120

[4] https://iranhrdc.org/murder-at-mykonos-anatomy-of-a-political-assassination/#57_the_judgment 

Stop courting representatives of the Iranian regime in the U.S. and Germany! Fire Mahallati!

Berlin, 13.5.2021

Yesterday, an alliance of former political prisoners and Iranian opposition activists and the campaign "STOP THE BOMB" demonstrated in front of the building of the law firm "Greenberg Traurig LLP". The action was part of an international campaign of the "Alliance against the apologists of the Islamic Republic of Iran" (AAIRIA).

The protests are directed against the courting of representatives of the Iranian regime who have been involved in human rights crimes. Currently, the main focus is on Mohammad Jafar Mahallati.  Mahallati holds a professorship at Oberlin College in Ohio. Previously, he was Iran's ambassador to the United Nations from 1987 - 1989. During this time, a wave of executions took place in Iran's prisons in 1988; thousands of prisoners were executed without due process of law. Mahallati was personally active in denying and covering up as ambassador the crimes that had been brought to the attention of human rights organizations. He thus prevented interventions by the international public that could have made a difference in saving the political prisoners.

Dr. Kazem Moussavi of the "Alliance Against the Apolegetics of the Islamic Republic of Iran" states:

"The courting of officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran responsible for human rights crimes must finally stop. Mohammed Mahallati is the face of an antisemitic and Islamist regime, who has no place at an educational institution of a democratic country. We call on the president of the university and the entire Oberlin College board to finally meet with the relatives of the victims of the wave of executions that Mr. Mahallati covered up. In addition, the University must have the crimes independently investigated and kick Mr. Mahallati out of Oberlin College."

The Alliance is calling on University President Twillie Ambar to fire Mr. Mahallati. At the same time, we call on Oberlin Board member Mr. Chuck Birenbaum to meet with relatives of Mr. Mahallati's victims. Chuck Birenbaum's law firm, Greenberg Traurig, is legally representing Mr. Mahallati against allegations of a cover-up of the 1988 crimes, which is why protests have been held in front of various international branches of the Greenberg Traurig law firm, in the U.S., London and Berlin. The Greenberg Traurig law firm in Berlin refused to personally receive a representative of the protesters and to accept a letter.

STOP THE BOMB Calls for a Turning Point in Relations with Iran

Berlin, March 1, 2022

The German government's new Russia policy is seen as a "turning point". The idea that good relations and channels of communication, as well as trade and interdependence with Putin's Russia would grant security and stability in Europe has proven to be an illusion with Putin's war of aggression on Ukraine. Instead of interdependence there are now sanctions, dialogue with the dictator Putin is to be replaced by dialogue with the Russian population.

The STOP THE BOMB campaign, which opposes Iran's nuclear program and advocates support for the democratic opposition in Iran, welcomes the change in Russia policy and calls on the German government to push for a change in Iran policy as well: The appeasement policy towards authoritarian regimes has completely failed.

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker states: "The same basic assumptions apply to Iran policy that have proven illusory in the policy towards Russia. For four decades, the German government has relied on dialogue and partnership vis-à-vis the dictatorship in Iran. This policy has failed. If the veil of wishful thinking and lobbying falls, the fact remains that the world is confronted with an antisemitic regime that brutally oppresses its own population, strives for nuclear weapons and has announced its intention to destroy the democratic state of Israel. Therefore, there is also a need for a 180° turn in German and European Iran policy: no more support for the regime, but toughness and sanctions to prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb. At the same time, any kind of support for the opponents of the regime in Iran is needed."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had told the Bundestag on Sunday that the German government stands by "all those people in Russia" who "courageously stand up to Putin's power apparatus." STOP THE BOMB calls on the German government to declare the same to the people of Iran.

In the nuclear negotiations, the goal is to prevent a weak and therefore dangerous deal. Iranian negotiators had recently announced that they would not accept any time limits and would enrich uranium to 20% even after a nuclear agreement. Becker continued, "The brazen Iranian demands reflect the weakness of the West. Negotiations must aim at an end to uranium enrichment in Iran and a dismantling of nuclear infrastructure that can be used for a nuclear weapons program."

The West's reticence toward Russia and Iran has helped keep Syrian dictator Assad in power. Well over 600,000 people have died in Assad's war against his own people, which is supported by Russia and Iran, and more than 6 million people have fled the country, many to Europe.

Becker commented, "The Iranian regime and Assad-ruled Syria are among Russia's few remaining allies. The change of era heralded in Berlin must therefore be directed against these regimes. It is now a matter of learning from past mistakes and confronting the regime in Tehran with the same severity as Putin's Russia."

No red carpet for Iran's antisemitic Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian!

Berlin, February 18, 2022

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has been invited to the Munich Security Conference. Tomorrow he will speak there in the "King’s room" on the topic "The Art of the Deal: Iran and the Future of the JCPOA." [1] In addition, Abdollahian is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. [2]

The STOP THE BOMB campaign, which opposes Iran's nuclear program and advocates support for the democratic opposition in Iran, condemns the invitation of Amir-Abdollahian.

Amir-Abdollahian has repeatedly distinguished himself in the past through open antisemitism and threats of annihilation against Israel. [3] In November 2020, for example, he referred to Zionists as "pigs." He referred to Arab politicians who cooperate with Israel as "traitors" who share the fate of the "Zionist pigs" and therefore have no future. [4] Most recently, earlier this year, he declared that the world has no place for Zionism. [5]

Stephan Grigat, academic director of the STOP THE BOMB campaign comments: "Antisemitism has been a core element of the regime's ideology in Iran for more than 40 years. Amir-Abdollahian, like former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, aggressively places threats of annihilation against Israel at the center of Iranian foreign policy. There can be no compromise with antisemites. Amir-Abdollahian should not be allowed to enter the Federal Republic, much less be given a public forum, if the German government is serious about standing by Israel's side."

Ulrike Becker, spokesperson for the STOP THE BOMB campaign demands: "Toughness is now needed in the negotiations with the Iranian regime. The regime very consistently pursues a policy of blackmail to enforce its goals. In its nuclear program, the regime is now enriching uranium to 60%, which is already a weapons-grade level. The regime is holding more than 20 hostages with dual citizenship to extort concessions from the West. This blackmail policy cannot be solved through dialogue. Tough, swift and decisive sanctions are now the remedy of choice."

[1] https://securityconference.org/media-library/images/2022/01_Hauptkonferenz/220218_MSC2022_Agenda_fin.pdf   

[2] https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/suche/regierungspressekonferenz-vom-16-februar-2022-2005908  

[3] https://taz.de/Israelhass-des-iranischen-Mullah-Regimes/!5815479/  

[4] https://twitter.com/Amirabdolahian/status/1329006469463879680  

[5] https://en.mehrnews.com/news/182517/Zionism-has-no-place-in-the-world-FM-Amir-Abdollahian  

Freedom for Nahid Taghavi - The Iranian regime must not be allowed to get away with its policy of taking hostages

Berlin, 5.8.2021

Yesterday the German-Iranian Nahid Taghavi was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Iran. Ms. Taghavi traveled to Iran last year for private reasons; she is an architect and retired. The charges against her are contrived. She has diabetes and contracted corona while in custody, but is not given parole for recovery.

In addition to Nahid Taghavi, about 20 dual nationals living in the West are in detention in Iran. [1] There is particular concern for the life of Ahmad Reza Jalali, a Swedish-Iranian medical doctor sentenced to death. [2] The practice of hostage-taking has characterized the Islamic Republic's policies since its inception. Attempts to extort foreign policy goals through hostage-taking began in 1979 with the hostage-taking of 52 U.S. diplomats, who were held for 444 days at the U.S. Embassy. Since then, the regime has also sent agents abroad to assassinate political dissidents and foreign enemies and to carry out terrorist attacks. The foreign hostages are needed to free the terror agents after an arrest. Thus, since its inception in 1979, the Islamic Republic has consistently flouted international norms and acted with terror rather than diplomacy.

One example is the case of Australian scientist Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who was detained in Iran for two years between 2018 and 2020. After her release, three Iranian detainees convicted of a foiled assassination attempt on the Israeli ambassador to Thailand were released. The assassins were given a hero's welcome by representatives of the regime at the airport in Tehran as Moore-Gilbert departed. [3]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments: "Nahid Taghavi has been innocently sentenced to ten years in prison. She must be released immediately. It is time for the German government to act decisively. It must be made clear to the Iranian regime that there will be serious consequences if Ms. Taghavi and all other hostages are not released immediately."

Becker continued: "In order to put a permanent end to the policy of constant hostage-taking, the international community must work together, and take joint action against all state-sponsored hostage-taking. Ending all hostage-taking must be a precondition for any future political agreement with the regime. Perpetrators must be held accountable. Targeted sanctions against Iranian entities and individuals involved in hostage-taking should be strengthened."

_{[1] https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/asien/iran-haftstrafe-103.html, also: https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article219425910/Politische-Gefangene-Deutsche-im-Iran-zunehmend-im-Fadenkreuz.html}   

_{[2] https://iranhr.net/en/articles/4508/} 

_{[3] https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-12-07/don-t-let-iran-get-away-with-hostage-taking and https://iranintl.com/en/world/biden-administration-rejects-partial-deal-iran-prisoner-swap} 

STOP THE BOMB calls on German government to support protests in Iran

Berlin, 23.7.2021

Mass protests have been taking place in the Khuzestan region of Iran since July 15. The cause is the water shortage caused by the worst drought in at least 50 years with temperatures reaching 50 degrees. The region is characterized by parched fields and dried-up rivers, animals are dying of thirst, there is too little water for agriculture and too little drinking water for people.

The slogans at the protests revolve primarily around the complete failure of the authorities to deal with water scarcity, climate change and drought, but are also directed against mismanagement and corruption, against supreme leader Ali Khamenei and against the regime as a whole. Protests are taking place in the provincial capital Ahwas, Izeh, Susangerd, Shadegan, Hamidijeh and Mahshar, among other places.

As in the past, the regime is using violence against the protests. Videos circulating on social media show security forces firing sharply at peaceful protesters. There are now at least seven fatalities. The international Internet monitoring agency Netblocks reports that there have been massive restrictions and, in some cases, complete shutdowns of the Internet in protest areas since July 15.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments: "The shutdown of the Internet in the protest regions in Iran is alarming. It is to be feared that in this way further shootings of protesters are to be covered up. We call on the German government to take a clear and unambiguous stand on the side of the protesters in Iran. The German government should provide free access to the Internet for the Iranian people and impose effective political and economic sanctions to make it clear that the atrocities against the protesters are unacceptable. We demand a 180-degree turnaround in Germany's Iran policy: no support for the regime in Tehran, instead every support for the democratic and secular opposition."

STOP THE BOMB calls on media representatives and human rights organizations to report on the development of the protests.

Election boycott in Iran - a referendum against the Islamic Republic

STOP THE BOMB demands harsh political consequences after Ebrahim Raisi declared winner of pseudo-elections in Iran

 

Berlin, 20 June 2021

After the elections in Iran, which can be considered a referendum against the Islamic Republic as a whole due to the lack of popular participation, Ebrahim Raisi, the favorite of the revolutionary leader Khamenei, was declared the winner. Raisi is on both the EU and U.S. sanctions lists for human rights violations.

Commenting on the significance of Raisi's future presidency, Fathiyeh Naghibzadeh, a founding member of STOP THE BOMB, explains: "Iranian oppositionists have warned the West for decades that the Islamic Republic's regime is incapable of reform. The fact that Khamenei has now installed the hated mass murderer Raisi as president exposes the falsehoods and whitewashes about this regime; it is the bankruptcy of the policy of a critical dialogue. Germany and the West are left with only two alternatives: to flush money into the regime's coffers with sanctions lifts for even more bellicose expansion and, ultimately, a possible nuclear inferno - or to side with the Iranian regime's opponents. Their boycott of the pseudo-elections was a clear referendum against the Islamic Republic's terror system."

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker adds: "With Raisi moving into the presidency under Khamenei, all illusory hopes of 'reforming' the Iranian terror regime must end. Like the internationally ostracized Syrian dictator Assad, Ebrahim Raisi is directly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of political opponents. He belongs before an international tribunal, not at a table with Western diplomats."

In the summer of 1988, then supreme religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a death fatwa against the Islamic Republic's imprisoned political prisoners, primarily members of the opposition People's Mujahideen and supporters of leftist groups. Thousands were killed within a few weeks. According to Mohammad Nourizad, a former confidant of current leader Khamenei, their number is 33,000. [1]

Raisi was a member of the top "death committee" designated by Khomeini to interview and select execution candidates. Details of the mass execution came to light in 2016 when a recording of an altercation between Raisi and other members of the death committee was made public. [2] As recently as July 2020, Raisi boasted of his actions on Iranian state television, stating that the prisoners deserved no mercy. [3]

Iranian opposition figures in exile, who organized a cross-currents campaign to boycott the elections, estimate that voter turnout was no more than ten percent. Even according to official regime figures, voter turnout was less than 50 percent. [4]

Becker continued: "Ebrahim Raisi must remain on the EU sanctions list. Raisi and Khamenei stand for mass murder at home and terror and war against neighboring countries, Europe and the world. Further Western concessions to an illegitimate regime that no longer even formally follows any reformist premises would be fatal."

According to press reports, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif is already calling for Raisi to be taken off the EU and U.S. sanctions lists as part of negotiations on the nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. [5]

STOP THE BOMB supports the demands of Iranian opposition figures in Iran and in exile not to make any advances to the rulers of the Islamic Republic, but instead to increase pressure on the regime and to provide all possible assistance to the Iranian opposition in its struggle for a future in a secular-democratic political system. [6]

_{[1] iraniansforum.com/eu/morder-der-uber-33-000-iranischen-politischen-gefangenen-1988-an-der-macht/ }

_{[2] https://www.mena-watch.com/kronzeuge-gegen-die-islamische-republik/}

_{[3] https://townhall.com/columnists/faridehgoudarzi/2021/05/20/mass-murderer-for-president-n2589764}

_{[4] https://www.fr.de/politik/iran-wahl-praesident-praesidentschaftswahl-ergebnis-ebrahim-raisi-teheran-90809080.html}

_{[5] https://www.dw.com/en/who-will-win-irans-presidential-election/a-57924131}

_{[6] https://im-media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-201/documents/2021-02/Open%20Letter%20to%20the%20Honorable%20Joseph%20R.%20Biden%20President%20of%20the%20United%20States%20of%20America%202021Feb.pdf,} ^{https://twitter.com/alinejadmasih/status/1357654947807064064?s=21}

Iranian state terrorism in Europe: Iranian diplomat legally sentenced to 20 years in prison for planned bomb attack

Berlin, May 9, 2021

Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, who was accredited to the Iranian Embassy in Vienna as embassy secretary, has been legally sentenced to 20 years in prison for a foiled terrorist attack. He waived his right to appeal and began serving his sentence. He was convicted of planning and preparing a bomb attack on a meeting of the opposition "National Council of Resistance of Iran." The attack would have been among the largest terrorist attacks in European history and was apparently narrowly prevented in 2018. [1]

Assadi was the operational commander of the attack planning and is part of Branch 312 of Iran's MOIS intelligence service, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU. He used the protection of diplomatic immunity to do so. [2] During the trial, his notebook provided evidence that Assadi was also active primarily in Germany. [3] The trial and verdict show that the Iranian regime uses terror to persecute opposition figures not only at home, but also abroad.

The STOP THE BOMB campaign therefore demands the expulsion of officials and closure of facilities of the Iranian regime.

The spokeswoman of the campaign Ulrike Becker says: "The final judgment against the diplomat-terrorist Assadi proves that the Iranian regime practices state terrorism on European soil and does not adhere to any international diplomatic customs. We demand that the German government publicly condemn the terrorist behavior in the clearest form and draw further consequences. In view of the nuclear negotiations with Iran, the German government must not remain silent about terrorist attacks in Germany. Expulsion of Iranian diplomats is the minimum. Consistent would be the closure of the Iranian embassy and other regime institutions such as the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), which pose an immediate terror threat to the citizens of the Federal Republic, especially to opposition members from Iran and Jews."

According to a report in the WELT, security authorities have little doubt that the decision to carry out the assassination was made at the highest level of the Iranian leadership, by the National Security Council and Revolutionary Leader Ali Khamenei. [4] 

Becker continued, "The trial proved that Assadi was active, especially in Germany. The German government is responsible for the protection of all people living here. We therefore demand the closure of all Iranian state institutions in Germany and the EU. This is urgently necessary to prevent further terrorist attacks. The trial shows that these are not places of diplomacy, but planning centers for terrorist activities."

40 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe had already called on February 2 for the expulsion of regime agents and the closure of Iranian facilities that promote the Islamic Republic's terrorist agenda. [5]

_{[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/iran-envoy-drops-appeal-prison-belgium-over-bomb-plot-2021-05-05/}

<sub>[2] https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1391415/iranian-spy-assadollah-assadi-germany-paris-bombing

[3] https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr/iran-terrorismus-europa-103.html und https://web.archive.org/web/20210120013334/https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/de/oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/newsletter/newsletter-archiv/bfv-newsletter-archiv/bfv-newsletter-2019-01-archiv/bfv-newsletter-2019-01-thema-04</sub>

[4] https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/plus217990342/Codename-Daniel-die-Spur-des-Terrors-fuehrt-ins-Zentrum-Europas.html

_{[5] https://iranintl.com/en/world/forty-european-lawmakers-call-expelling-irans-intelligence-mercenaries, https://iran-tc.com/en/2021/02/03/forty-members-of-parliamentary-assembly-of-the-council-of-europe-call-for-revision-of-iran-policy/}

Scandalous election: Iran with European support in the UN Women's Rights Commission

STOP THE BOMB is calling on the Federal German government to condemn the election

Berlin, April 30, 2021

The STOP THE BOMB campaign, which is directed against the Iranian nuclear program and supports the democratic opposition in Iran, calls on the German government and the German ambassador to the United Nations to condemn Iran's election to the UN Women's Rights Commission. The Islamic Republic of Iran was elected to the Women's Rights Commission on April 20 for the 2022-2026 term of office.

Iranian women's rights activists reacted with outrage everywhere. [1] In Iran, women are systematically discriminated against by law. Just recently, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, stated that women in Iran would be treated as "second class citizens".[2] In the UN body responsible for the election, the Economic and Social Council, at least four Western democracies voted for Iran, according to the UN-critical non-governmental organization “UN Watch”. [3] With the exception of Canada, no government has so far commented on their voting behavior. A request from the BILD newspaper to the federal government has so far remained unanswered. [4]

STOP THE BOMB therefore asks the Federal Foreign Office: Did Germany vote to heave the Iranian regime into the UN women's rights body?

Spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: “The Federal Government owes the public information about its voting behavior in this matter. The election of Iran to the UN Women's Rights Commission is a double scandal. At least four Western democracies have supported the misogynist regime in Iran. All other democratic states are complicit if they accept the election and do not criticize it publicly. We call on the German government and the other democratic governments to reveal how they voted and to unequivocally condemn the election of the misogynist regime of injustice in Iran."

Even the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran does not guarantee gender equality, but cements inequality. A man's testimony in court is worth twice as much as a woman's, women must adhere to strict dress codes and wear the hijab, and are not allowed to travel abroad without their husband's permission. Many other regulations massively restrict the lives of women in everyday life, in institutions and in all areas of social life. At least 50 women's rights activists are currently in jail and some have been sentenced to decades of imprisonment. [5]

STOP THE BOMB criticizes the international reluctance to condemn and sanction serious human rights violations in Iran, also in view of the nuclear negotiations. Ulrike Becker continues: “The goal of reaching an agreement in the nuclear talks must not lead to silence or concession regarding human rights abuses or Israel's security. Silence and collaboration do not lead to progress in the nuclear issue. On the contrary, the antisemitic regime is strengthened by such concessions”.

_{[1] See https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/ecosoc7040.doc.htm. Statements from the USA by Masih Alinejad (https://www.mystealthyfreedom.org/iranian-womens-rights-activist-condemn-irans-election-to-un-womens-rights-commission/) and Roya Hakakian, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/27/un-farce-has-tragic-implications-feminist-activists-iran/, as well as the former political prisoner Shaparak Shajarizadeh: https://nypost.com/2021/04/26/activist-slams-un-appointment-of-iran-to-womens-rights-panel/, from Germany by Mina Ahadi: https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/politik-ausland/iran-in-Frauenrechts-gremium-der-un-elected-76154124.bild.html, from France by Chadorrt Djavann: https://twitter.com/CNEWS/status/1386351615930769408}

_{[2] https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26862&LangID=E}

_{[3] Among the 15 Western Democratic States represented in the Economic and Social Council are Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, France, Latvia, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Great Britain, the United States and Portugal. See https://unwatch.org/un-elects-iran-to-top-womens-rights-body/}

_{[4] Canada's UN Ambassador Bob Rae on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BobRae48/status/1386466353566134275, https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/politik-ausland/iran-in-frauenrechts- committee-of-un-elected-76154124.bild.html} 

_{[5] https://www.en-hrana.org/rouhani-8-years-on-the-situation-of-womens-rights-in-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-march-2021}

Iranian diplomat convicted / STOP THE BOMB demands: Close Iranian Embassies!

Berlin, February 5, 2021

An Iranian diplomat has been sentenced to 20 years in jail by a Belgian court for masterminding a bomb attack targeting a meeting of 25,000 opposition exiles. Assadollah Assadi was attached to the Iranian mission in Vienna/Austria when he supplied explosives for the planned attack. The STOP THE BOMB campaign calls for decisive consequences from the German federal government and the EU.

Spokeswoman Ulrike Becker explains: “We are calling for the closure of all institutions that are connected to the Iranian state in Germany and the EU. The trial and the verdict show that the Iranian regime is persecuting opposition members with terror -  not only at home but also abroad and that the regime has no respect for diplomatic customs or rules-based order. The process shows that Assadi was particularly active in Germany. The federal government is responsible for protecting everyone who lives here. The closure of the Iranian embassies is urgently needed to prevent further terrorist attacks. The verdict demonstrates that Iranian embassies are not places of diplomacy, but planning centers for terrorist activities."

The scientific director of STOP THE BOMB Austria, Stephan Grigat, demands: "It is high time to close the Iranian terror embassy in Vienna. Why should Austria maintain diplomatic relations with a regime that uses its mission and staff in Vienna to conduct terrorist attacks in Europe?"

Assadi was registered as the third counselor at the Iranian embassy in Vienna. A note from Belgium’s intelligence and security agency identified Mr. Assadi as an officer of Iran’s intelligence and security ministry who operated undercover at the Iranian Embassy in Vienna, according to The Associated Press. Under the protection of diplomatic immunity, he was the operational commander and planned the attack on a gathering of exiled Iranian opposition members of the National Council of Resistance (NCRI). Assadi belonged to the "Directorate for Internal Security" of the Iranian domestic and foreign intelligence service Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS). After the failed attempt, he was arrested in Germany and extradited to Belgium. According to a report by WELT, security authorities have no doubt that the decision to commit the attack was made at the highest level of the Iranian leadership, the National Security Council and revolutionary leader Ali Khamenei. [1]

On February 2, 40 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called for the expulsion of regime agents and the closure of Iranian institutions promoting the terrorist agenda of the Islamic Republic. [2]

Assadi's notebook proves that he was particularly active in Germany. [3]

_{[1] https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/plus217990342/Codename-Daniel-die-Spur-des-Terrors-fuehrt-ins-Zentrum-Europas.html} 

_{[2] https://iranintl.com/en/world/forty-european-lawmakers-call-expelling-irans-intelligence-mercenaries, https://iran-tc.com/en/2021/02/03/forty -members-of-parliamentary-assembly-of-the-council-of-europe-call-for-revision-of-iran-policy/}    

_{[3] https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1391415/iranian-spy-assadollah-assadi-germany-paris-bombing}

Execution of Ruhollah Zam: STOP THE BOMB demands withdrawal of German Ambassador from the "Europe-Iran Business Forum"

Berlin, December 13th, 2020

On December 12, the Islamic Republic of Iran executed the Iranian blogger Ruhollah Zam. According to press reports, Zam had been lured from his French exile to Iraq in 2019 and brought from there to Iran. The Iranian regime sentenced him to death for his opposition activities. [1]

STOP THE BOMB calls for a strong reaction from the federal German government to the execution and, as a first step, demands the withdrawal of German government representatives from the European-Iranian trade conference "Europe-Iran Business Forum", which starts tomorrow. The German ambassador to Iran, Hans-Udo Muzel, is planning to attend. [2]

Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman for STOP THE BOMB, comments: “After the execution of blogger Ruhollah Zam, we urge the federal government to react with a strong response. The participation of the German ambassador at the Business Forum would be a signal that the German government accepts the executions of regime opponents and prisoners of conscience in Iran. The federal government and the EU must not reward the Islamic Republic with the prospect of new business deals. Instead, it is important, that Germany together with its international partners in the EU, the USA, Australia and Canada, works on decisive sanctions against the violation of human rights in Iran. These steps must be decisive and tough in order to make it clear to the regime in Iran that the execution policy will no longer be accepted. "

The Islamic Republic holds thousands of opposition members in prison, including many European and German citizens. [3] There is particular concern for the life of the Swedish-Iranian doctor Ahmad Reza Jalali, who has been sentenced to death. [4]

Ulrike Becker: “The execution of Zam shortly before a high-level meeting of representatives with EU officials follows a characteristic pattern: the Iranian regime executes prisoners of conscience shortly before international meetings. In this way, the international community legitimizes the crimes against humanity in Iran. Germany's and Europe's advances to Tehran encourage the regime to exert more terror instead of limiting it. This policy must be ended, it directly endangers the lives of the other regime hostages. "

On the night of September 12th, the Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari was executed despite worldwide protests. Shortly afterwards, the Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif was expected to visit Berlin. The meeting was canceled after protests. [5]

[1] https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/iranischer-blogger-ruhollah-zam-hingerierter-17098721.html

[2] https://www.europeiranbusinessforum.com/day-1/ambassadors-panel

[3] https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article219425910/Politische-Gefangene-Deutsche-im-Iran-zunehmend-im-Fadenkreuz.html

[4] https://iranhr.net/en/articles/4508/

[5] http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/press/press-releases.html#c3709

Trial against Iranian State-Sponsored Terror Plot begins in Belgium

STOP THE BOMB demands: Close Iranian embassies in Europe

Berlin, November 26th, 2020

A trial against an act of state sponsored terrorism begins in Antwerp / Belgium tomorrow. Assadollah Assadi, officer of the Iranian secret service MOIS, is accused of planning a bomb attack on a meeting of the “National Council of Resistance of Iran” in the summer of 2018. The attack would have been one of the largest terrorist attacks in European history and was apparently only barely prevented.

Assadi was officially the third counselor at the Iranian embassy in Vienna. Under the protection of diplomatic immunity, he was the operational commander of the planned attack and belonged to Department 312 of the MOIS, which is classified by the EU as a terrorist organization. [1] After the failed assassination attempt, he was arrested in Germany and extradited to Belgium.

According to a report by DIE WELT, security authorities have little doubt that the decision to commit the attack was made at the highest level of the Iranian leadership, by the National Security Council and revolutionary leader Ali Khamenei. [2]

The Iranian regime is nervous about the impending trial. After his arrest, Assadi threatened the Belgian authorities with retaliatory attacks by “armed groups” from Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Syria. [3] A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry criticized Assadi's arrest as a "hostage-taking" and accused the Federal German Government of having played a key role in the arrest. He also condemned the latest travel warnings from the German Foreign Office to Iran. [4]

The Federal Foreign Office warns people with German-Iranian dual citizenship against traveling to Iran after at least four people have been arbitrarily arrested. The most famous case is the arrest of the architect Nahid Taghavi from Cologne in October this year. [5]

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker says: “The planning of the attack and the threats with further attacks prove once again that the Islamic Republic of Iran is characterized by state-sponsored terrorism. The message is that no opponent to the regime can feel safe in Europe."

“The arbitrarily arrested dual nationals in Iran are apparently being held hostage in order to exert pressure on the European governments and to free Assadollah Assadi. It is time for the Federal government to act decisively and not to give in to the policy of threats. It would be an important step to shut down the Iranian regime's embassies and to expel those agents who can commit terroristic acts under the protection of diplomatic immunity from Europe."

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20210120013334/https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/de/oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/newsletter/newsletter-archiv/bfv-newsletter-archiv/bfv-newsletter-2019-01-archiv/bfv-newsletter-2019-01-thema-04 

[2] https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/plus217990342/Codename-Daniel-die-Spur-des-Terrors-fuehrt-ins-Zentrum-Europas.html

[3] https://de.reuters.com/article/iran-plot-france-int/iranian-diplomat-warned-of-retaliation-over-belgian-bomb-plot-trial-document-shows-idUSKBN26U28N 

[4] https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/454954/Tehran-slams-Germany-for-warning-dual-citizens-against-traveling; https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/aussenpolitik/laender/iran-node/iransicherheit/202396

[5] https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/aussenpolitik/laender/iran-node/iransicherheit/202396, Faz: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/politisches-druckmittel-mindestens-vier-deutsche-in-iran-inhaftiert-17039011.html; Information on Nahid Taghavi: https://www.igfm.de/nahid-taghavi

Despite barbaric executions in Iran: Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif expected in Berlin

STOP THE BOMB protests against German support for the terrorist regime in Iran

Berlin, September 13, 2020

On the night of September 12th, the Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari was executed despite worldwide protests. Afkari participated in demonstrations against the Iranian regime in 2018. According to his family, Afkari was severely tortured in Iran.

Despite this barbaric practice, the Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif is expected in Berlin in the coming days. [1] According to the Iranian regime media, Zarif is planning a trip to Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Spain. The announcement of his trip came shortly before Navid Afkari's execution. At the same time, the governments of Germany, France and Great Britain are coordinating their activities against the 'snapback' sanctions. The 2015 Irandeal envisages sanctions in case Tehran violates the agreement what in fact currently happens. [2]

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: “The execution of Navid Afkari and other political prisoners is an undisguised threat to the Iranian population: Anyone who takes part in protests against the regime must expect to be murdered. The foreign minister of this execution regime must not be invited to Berlin. If thousands of young people fighting for their freedom are simply assassinated, the federal government cannot go on with a diplomacy as usual. Every meeting of politicians with representatives of the Iranian regime is a support for the terror of the regime. The federal government buries human rights in Iran in order to stick to a nuclear deal that has already failed. "

The Iranian regime has been terrorizing political opponents for months with another wave of death sentences and executions. [3] According to the Reuters news agency, more than 1,500 people were killed by the regime’s repressive forces during protests in November 2019, and thousands were abducted to the regime’s torture rooms. [4] Political prisoners are excluded from an amnesty during the rampant corona wave. The well-known human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been protesting for weeks with a hunger strike and is now in a life-threatening situation. [5]

Kazem Moussavi, spokesman for the Green Party of Iran and founding member of STOP THE BOMB explains: “Every day innocent people are murdered in Iran and crimes against humanity are committed. The reception of the representative of the antisemitic regime has to be canceled. In every meeting with the regime’s representatives, the threat to wipe out Israel is always at the table. "

STOP THE BOMB demands that all official meetings with Zarif must be canceled and that Zarif must not be allowed to enter Germany.

STOP THE BOMB will protest against the reception of Zarif when he will be received in Berlin.

Further information follows.

[1] https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/452266/Zarif-plans-visit-to-Europe-NHK

[2] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/un-atombehoerde-iaea-iran-hat-zehnmal-so-viel-angereichertes-uran-wie-erlaubt/26160288.html

[3] https://en.radiofarda.com/a/the-islamic-republic-of-execution-iran-executed-at-least-8-000-in-20-years-/30728015.html 

[4] https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idRCV007MZA

[5] https://www.nzz.ch/international/iran-menschenrechtler-fuerchten-um-das-leben-von-nasrin-sotoudeh-ld.1574884

Stop Executions of Protesters in Iran – Federal Government and Parliament Must Act

Berlin, July 31, 2020

In Iran, many political prisoners are directly threatened by execution. At the moment, eight of them are accused of taking part in demonstrations. There are three young men from Tehran and five from Isfahan. The campaign STOP THE BOMB calls on the German government to act.

With the imposition of the death penalty on people who have participated in demonstrations, the Islamic Republic of Iran blatantly escalates its repression. Government and Ministry of Justice want to suppress further protests in Iran. Yet, the situation continues to escalate. In Isfahan, relatives have been demonstrating against the executions for days outside the prisons. Some have threatened to set themselves on fire if the executions are carried out.

Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman of STOP THE BOMB calls on the German government and the Bundestag to act immediately: "The situation in Iran is critical, and those who are fighting for their freedom in Iran urgently need the solidarity and attention of the democratic world. Only public pressure helps to save the lives of those affected. Germany, which maintains good relations with the regime in Iran, is particularly called upon. The Federal Government and Parliament should condemn the planned executions in a clear, public and unambiguous manner. In addition, sanctions should be imposed on all judges and judicial officials involved: the US Government demonstrated that this is possible. We also call on Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Chancellor Angela Merkel to show their solidarity with the democratic protests by publicly receiving Iranian opposition members, as the Swedish Foreign Ministry did today. Only demonstrative solidarity and political pressure can save the lives of prisoners in Iran and also protect all other critical voices".

Amir Hossein Moradi, Mohammad Rajabi and Saeed Tamjidi were arrested during mass protests in Tehran in November 2019 and are held in Fashofouyeh prison in Tehran province. In February 2020, they were sentenced to death by Judge Abolghassem Salavati for "enmity against God".

The five persons sentenced to death in Isfahan are Mehdi Salehi, Mohammad Bastami, Hadi Kiani, Majid Nazari and Abbas Mohammadi. They are accused of having participated in demonstrations critical of the regime.

Numerous politically active persons are also acutely threatened by the death penalty in Iran. In the Ahwaz region and in the Kurdish areas, eight members of the opposition have been sentenced to death. Their names are Hossein Silawi, Ali Khasraji and Naser Khafajian from the Ahwaz region and Heydar Ghorbani, Houshmand Alipour, Saman Karimi, Arsalan Khodkam and Mohayyedin Ebrahimi from the Kurdish areas. All of them were sentenced to death without fair trials and on the basis of forced confessions. In July, two Kurdish men were executed on the basis of confessions coerced under torture, despite overwhelming evidence of their innocence. [1]

_{[1] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/07/iran-two-kurds-executed-amid-increasing-use-of-death-penalty-as-weapon-of-repression/}

Hezbollah - Founded and Funded by the Islamic Republic

STOP THE BOMB calls for more pressure on the Iranian regime after ban of Hezbollah

Berlin, April 30, 2020

The STOP THE BOMB campaign, which is directed against the Iranian nuclear program and advocates for the support of the democratic opposition in Iran, welcomes the ban of Hezbollah in Germany imposed by Horst Seehofer, Federal Minister of the Interior today.

The terrorist organization Hezbollah is controlled and financed by the regime in Tehran. The top spiritual authority of Hezbollah therefore is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the head of the Islamic Republic in Iran. Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah said in 2016 that the entire budget of Hezbollah comes from Iran.

The decision to ban Hezbollah’s activities in Germany is based on the fact that the organization wants to destroy Israel by force. The terrorist organization therefore violates the idea of ​​international understanding. It shares this goal with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In southern Lebanon, Hezbollah, which has been armed by Iran, threatens Israel with a huge weapons stockpile.

Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman for STOP THE BOMB says: “We welcome the ban on Hezbollah. The organization threatens Israel and there is the danger of terrorist attacks in Germany. But these dangers can only be averted if the Iranian regime behind Hezbollah is also pushed back. The Federal government should change its course here and immediately stop supporting the financiers of Hezbollah - the Iranian regime via INSTEX. "

The STOP THE BOMB campaign also demands that the Federal Government take human rights in Iran seriously. “There can only be economic cooperation with a free Iran, for which the well-being of the people is more important than violent expansion in the region, ”continued Becker.

The STOP THE BOMB campaign has been calling for a ban on Hezbollah since its inception in 2008.

STOP THE BOMB campaign calls on the German government to support the protests in Iran

STOP THE BOMB Rally against Mourning Ceremony for Chief of the Quds Brigades Ghassem Soleimani

Berlin, January 8, 2020

The STOP THE BOMB campaign is protesting against a mourning ceremony tomorrow that the "Islamic Center Imam Riza" in Berlin is holding for the Quds Brigade chief Ghassem Soleimani who was killed by an American drone.

Qassem Soleimani is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in the Middle East. Millions had to flee to Europe because of his terror policy. Soleimani was on the US and EU terror lists, as were the Quds Brigades he commanded (see EU terror list here).

According to Section 129b of the Criminal Code, anyone who solicits support for a terrorist organization is punished with imprisonment from six months to five years. We ask the Berlin Senator for the Interior, Andreas Geisel: Don't you have to take action?

The STOP THE BOMB campaign protests on site against the propaganda event for the "martyr" or jihadist Soleimani. This is also an insult and mockery of the victims of the November protests in Iran. 1500 people were killed and thousands injured and imprisoned.

We protest against the glorification of Islamist terror and anti-Semitism and for the support of the democratic protests in Iran.

Start: 9.1.2020, from 5.30 p.m.

Location: in front of the Imam Reza Mosque, Reuterstraße 93, Berlin-Neukölln

More information here.

After the death of Qassem Soleimani: STOP THE BOMB appeals to the Federal Government and the German Public: Stand on the Side of the Democrats in the Middle East!

Berlin, January 7, 2020

After the blow of an American drone against the leader of the Iranian Quds Brigades Qassem Soleimani, fear of a war with Iran prevails in the German media. The fact that war has long been going on in the region and that the policy of making concessions to Iran has failed is often ignored. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards stepped up their military actions in the region, especially after the nuclear deal was concluded in summer 2015, and financed them with the funds released in the course of the nuclear agreement.

"The nuclear deal of 2015 did not stop the expansion in the region led by Soleimani, but strengthened it, as the destruction of Syria after the summer of 2015 shows," explains Ulrike Becker for the STOP THE BOMB alliance. “The Revolutionary Guards, which Soleimani served as commander, are avowedly not a national defense force, but an ideological army which, with the help of the jihad, want to 'enforce the divine laws in the world'. This goal is enshrined in the Iranian constitution. The Quds Brigades (Quds stands for Jerusalem in Arabic), led by Qassem Soleimani, name the goal of annihilating Israel in their name. All of this is not just theory, but bloody seriousness and manifests itself in military attacks against Israel from Syrian territory, through the support of Hezbollah, as well as in the bloody suppression of all protests in the Middle East against the influence of the Islamist dictatorship in Tehran Set up the region. "

The trail of blood left by the leader of the Quds Brigades stretches from Iran via Iraq, Yemen and Syria to Lebanon, Europe and the whole world:

• Qassem Soleimani is partly responsible for the total destruction of Syria. The intervention of Iranian militias was critical to the survival of the Assad regime. (1) Soleimani also planned the joint approach with Putin's Russia in the summer of 2015. (2) As a result, over 500,000 people died and millions were displaced. In Idlib, the news of Soleimani's death was therefore celebrated. (3)

• In Iraq, Soleimani commanded Shiite militias that, under the supervision of his Quds brigades, committed gruesome crimes against the Sunni people. (4)

• In Iraq, Soleimani was also responsible for the bloody repression of protests against the government in recent months, with hundreds of deaths. It is therefore hated by large parts of the Iraqi population. There were spontaneous demonstrations of joy in Baghdad after the news of his death. (5)

• In Iran itself, Soleimani advocated the violent suppression of the student protests of the time as early as 1999. (6) There the Revolutionary Guards are known for their extreme repression against the civilian population. In just a few days in November 2019, according to Reuters, 1,500 people who took to the streets against the Iranian regime were killed. (7)

• As head of the Quds unit for the Revolutionary Guard's foreign operations, Soleimani was responsible for global terrorist operations against Jews, opposition members and other opponents of the regime (8) - also in Germany. (9)

• Qassem Soleimani was on the EU's terrorist list and in November 2019 his assets were frozen. (10)

• The Quds units operate worldwide with terror: between 2011 and 2013 alone, observers registered 30 worldwide attempted attacks under his command, including in Thailand, New Delhi, Lagos and Nairobi. (11)

The STOP THE BOMB campaign warns of illusions in dealing with the regime. “The Islamist leaders in Tehran are ideologically driven, but act pragmatically,” explains STOP THE BOMB founding member Fathiyeh Naghibzadeh: “They go as far as they can. It is therefore extremely important that Berlin now draws red lines. The Federal Government should stop appeasing the terror regime and take the side of the people in Iran and the region who are fighting for freedom and democracy. Only a clear stance and a smashing of terror structures like Hezbollah can also contain the dangers posed by the Iranian regime and its representatives in Germany. "

(1) CBS News v. October 31, 2013 on the intervention of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Syrian Civil War 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvhU113mVpw

(2) “How Iranian general plotted out Syrian assault in Moscow“, Reuters v. October 6, 2015, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-soleimani-insigh/how-iranian-general-plotted-out-syrian-assault-in-moscow-idUSKCN0S02BV20151006

(3) Video Feier in Idlib am 4.1.2020, https://www.facebook.com/stopthebomb/videos/1129617987208837/

4) Human Rights Watch: “Iraq: Militia Attacks Destroy Villages, Displace Thousands”, v. 18.3.2015,  https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/03/18/iraq-militia-attacks-destroy-villages-displace-thousands 

(5) “Iran's Role In Violence Against Protesters In Iraq And Lebanon”, Radio Farda v. 30.10.2019, https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-role-in-violence-against-protesters-in-iraq-and-lebanon/30244037.html; vgl. auch https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/1189592991792599041

(6) Brief von Soleimani und anderen an Präsident Mohammed Khatami v. 27.7.1999, https://iranian.com/News/1999/July/irgc.html?site=archive  

(7) “Special Report: Iran’s leader ordered crackdown on unrest - 'Do whatever it takes to end it'”, Reuter v. 23.12.2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-protests-specialreport/special-report-irans-leader-ordered-crackdown-on-unrest-do-whatever-it-takes-to-end-it-idUSKBN1YR0QR 

(8) Matthew Levitt: “Hizballah and the Quds Force in Iran’s Shadow War with the West”, Januar 2013, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/PolicyFocus123.pdf

(9) Offener Brief von STOP THE BOMB an Angela Merkel: Wir fordern Schutz vor dem iranischen Regime und eine Wende in der Iran-Politik, 7.2.2018, http://de.stopthebomb.net/aktionen/merkel-brief.html

(10) Official Journal of the European Union v. 11.11.2019, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1578398696972&uri=CELEX:52019XG1111 (01)

(11) Dexter Filkins: “The Shadow Commander”, New Yorker v. 23.9.2013,  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/30/the-shadow-commander/amp?fbclid=IwAR27arQRscYcvFuUGqIwjvCUbBVlwS4jpgEZ3UAawKImgG0p3zYsWDjtrhw 

Break the Silence: STOP THE BOMB Campaign calls for Solidarity with the Iranian protests

Berlin, 20.11.2019

Since the 15th of November, the Islamic Republic of Iran is once again shaken by massive uprisings among its population. While they were first sparked by price increases in fuel, they are now directed against the Islamist dictatorship as such.

Internet access in Iran is at this point almost blocked entirely and the repressive apparatus acts with extreme brutality against the protesters. According to Amnesty International at least 106 people have been killed within the last three days.The organisation has access to video footage according to which snipers have been shooting into the crowds from rooftops and a helicopter.

The new wave of protests in Iran follows massive demonstrations in Iraq and in Lebanon against the influence of the Islamic Republic and its Shiite militias.

STOP THE BOMB Spokeswoman Ulrike Becker says: „In Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, people are protesting against the destructive influence of the Iranian Regime, which stands for corruption, violence, despotism, mismanagement and Islamism. The Federal Government needs to change the course of their Iran policy and take an unequivocal stand with the democrats in Iran and the region. We furthermore call upon the Federal Government to establish a free internet access for the Iranian people and to make clear through hard and effective political and economic sanctions that the atrocities against the protesters are absolutely unacceptable.“

Federal Government supports organizing Fairs in the Islamic Republic of Iran

STOP THE BOMB protests against the Federal Ministry of Economics and subsidiary of Messe München.

Berlin, 29.10.2019

 The STOP THE BOMB campaign which advocates against the Iranian nuclear program and for a free, secular Iran, protests against the Iran-business of fair organizer IMAG GmbH, which is a subsidiary of Messe München. According to their own claims, IMAG is at the time involved in eight fairs in the Islamic Republic of Iran and is therefore a leading organizer of international business with the Iranian regime. Three of those fairs start within the next 14 days: IIEE Energy fair is scheduled for October 30th, mining fair Iran ConMin starts October 31st and IAPEX automobile parts fair is scheduled to start 9th of November. 

STOP THE BOMB doesn’t only protest these activities but as well against the Federal Ministry of Economics, which supports IMAG’s activities substantially and organizes “German Pavilions” for fairs in Iran. Among others for Iran Oil Show, IAPEX automobile parts fair and IIEE.

Involved in those fairs were in the past also companies that are affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian military. Those companies hold responsibility for the repression in Iran, destabilizing the region and threatening Israel. Through IMAG’s fairs they gain recognition, profit and the possibility to initiate business deals globally.

Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman of STOP THE BOMB explains: “We think it’s unbearable that the German government and German companies are a leading actor in establishing business with the only regime which considers the annihilation of Israel a linchpin of its foreign policy. We call upon both the Government and the companies: Stop your activities in Iran! There must not be any business with Iran until the regime stops the threats against Israel, its support of terrorism in the region and globally and of course its constant violations of human rights.

You can read an open letter to IMAG GmbH here.

Protest: STOP THE BOMB campaign calls for cancellation of "Banking and Business Forum Iran Europe"

Berlin, 18.9.2019

A coalition of various civil society and exile Iranian groups is protesting against the "Banking and Business Forum Iran Europe", which will take place on 19 and 20 September 2019 at the Maritim Hotel in Berlin. Representatives of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the Financial Supervisory Authority Bafin, Iranian Ambassador Mahmoud Farazandeh and lobbyists of the Iran business have been announced as speakers. The aim of the conference is to stimulate trade between Europe and Iran despite U.S. sanctions.

The campaign STOP THE BOMB demands the cancellation of the forum. Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman for the campaign, said: "The conference on boosting business with Iran seems to be a special reward for the terror that is currently being inflicted by the Iranian regime in the region. The Iranian regime always pursues its goals by force: it has responded to the nuclear deal and economic concessions by reinforcing its militias in Syria. The regime is terrorizing the entire region, from Iraq and Yemen to the Israeli border. In Iran, the regime has enormously intensified the repression of women's rights and union activists. The German answer to this terror is always more trade and dialogue. However, this policy does not make the regime more moderate, but encourages it in its aggressive course. There must finally be a change of course: away from courting the regime, towards support of the democratic opposition."

Amir Amiri of the exile Iranian opposition group "Iranian Secular Democrats in Hanover" supporting the protests against the Banking Forum states: "We see no difference between the terrorist organization IS and the Islamic terror regime in Iran. Both act as terror groups. We say "no" to the warmongering regime in Iran. We say "no" to the appeasement policy with the mullahs. We call for solidarity and support for the Iranian democratic opposition to the mullahs' regime. "

The coalition will protest on 19 September at 8:45 a.m. in front of the Hotel Maritim, Stauffenbergstraße 26, 10785 Berlin against the Business and Banking Forum. More information here.

Protest against the reception of Tehran’s mayor in Berlin

STOP THE BOMB: Invite the Iranian opposition to Berlin’s City Hall

Berlin, September 6, 2019

The campaign STOP THE BOMB protests against the reception of Tehran’s mayor to Berlin’s City Hall “Rotes Rathaus” and calls upon Berlin’s ruling mayor Michael Müller in an open letter to cancel the meeting and invite members of the Iranian opposition instead.

The campaign’s spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments:  "If the city of Berlin wants to prove that Berlin's commitment to tolerance, cosmopolitanism and the fight against antisemitism is not just lip service, Berlin’s mayor Michael Mueller should invite those Iranians to the City Hall “Rotes Rathaus” who took part in the protests against the Al Quds march in Berlin this year and in the past years, together with various Jewish and other organizations. These demonstrations showed that living together in solidarity is possible. By contrast, it has become obvious that the policy of dialogue with representatives of the Iranian regime has failed after more than 30 years. The human rights situation in Iran has deteriorated in recent years. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, a terror organization controlled by Iran, are threatening Israel and destabilizing and destroying Iran's neighbouring countries - Syria, Iraq and Yemen. It is time for a democratic alternative. Berlin can make a start here and show that the city seeks and promotes exchange with democratic and liberal forces from Iran. "

Pirouz Hanachi was a member of the Revolutionary Guards and participated in Tehran’s Al-Qods-March in May 2019.

SPD Foundation Courts Holocaust denier think tank

STOP THE BOMB calls for cancellation of the Iran event of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation

Berlin, May 10, 2019

The STOP THE BOMB campaign, which is directed against the dictatorship of the Iranian regime and its nuclear program, is protesting against the invitation of Iranian experts to an Iran event hosted by the Social Democratic Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) on 14 May.

The FES invited Saeed Khatibzadeh, a representative of the state-run Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), which hosted the 2006 Holocaust deniers conference in Tehran. Khatibzadeh presents himself as a mouthpiece of the Iranian regime on his twitter account, which he uses for the dissemination of statements by the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, the spiritual leader Ali Khamenei and for the glorification of the Revolutionary Guards. [2] The second guest of the FES conference is Hassan Ahmadian from the University of Tehran. Ahmadian recently described the devastating war of the Islamic Republic in Syria as a war of "deterrence" against the US and Israel. [3]

Despite of public criticism, the FES sticks to its plan. The campaign STOP THE BOMB demands the cancellation of the event. Spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "A few days after the Iran-backed terrorist groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas attacked Israel with more than 700 missiles, the FES is courting the Iranian regime, which is not only threatening Israel with destruction, but spreads terror in its neighboring countries in supporting Shiite militias. The Iranian regime also plans and carries out terrorist attacks in Europe. The planned FES conference is a slap in the face for all democrats. The FES should focus on its core values of freedom, justice and solidarity and support the social and political struggles of women, trade unionists and other opposition groups fighting for freedom in Iran. "

At the end of April, the FES disinvited the German-Israeli author Chaim Noll to a planned event. The FES justified the disinvitation, inter alia, with Noll's vehement criticism of German cooperation with the Islamic Republic. [4]

Becker continues: "The fact that the Ebert Foundation is canceling an event with a critic of Germanys Iran-policy, and sticks to an event with IPIS, underlines that the FES with its courting of the antisemitic Iranian regime embarks on a strategy of political-moral twilight."

_{[1] https://www.fes.de/themenportal-die-welt-gerecht-gestalten/artikelseite/europa-und-iran-ein-jahr-nach-dem-us-ausstieg-aus-dem-atomabkommen/ . The Holocaust Denier Conference "The International Conference On Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision" is still available here: https://web.archive.org/web/20070114134827fw_/http:/www.ipis.ir/English/meetings_roundtables_conferences.htm.}

_{[2] See for example https://twitter.com/SKhatibzadeh/status/1115370864453869568, https://twitter.com/SKhatibzadeh/status/1112643759186022400}  

_{[3] https://academic.oup.com/ia/article-abstract/95/2/341/5306386?redirectedFrom=fulltext}  

_{[4] https://jungle.world/blog/von-tunis-nach-teheran/2019/05/fes-am-runden-tisch, https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/politik-ausland/umstrittene-veranstaltung-nazi-jaeger-kritisiert-ebert-stiftung-61738210.bild.html}      

Iranian Regime responsible for the attacks on Israel

STOP THE BOMB campaign calls for new sanctions against the Iranian regime

Berlin, May 6, 2019

For two days Israel was under attack from terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip, more than 700 rockets were fired at Israel. In Israel, four people were killed and around 100 were seriously injured.

Responsible are the terror organizations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Both groups are funded by the Iranian regime. In February 2019, a spokesman for the Islamic Jihad in Iran's Al-Alam radio station said the Islamic Republic of Iran has been supporting the group since the day of its establishment “financially, militarily, in training, and in all aspects.” [1]

Representatives of the Iranian regime reiterate their goal of destroying the state of Israel and arming Palestinian terrorist groups for this purpose. This message is also spread in Germany by the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), which is influenced by the Iranian regime. [2]

There is a consensus among all fractions of the Iranian government to support terrorist groups in the region. In February 2019, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who is considered a "moderate" in Germany, met members of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Jihad in Beirut. [3] The aim to enable and finance trade with Iran via the special purpose vehicle Instex, fails so far largely because the Iranian government refuses to renounce the financing of terror groups, which is a condition for Instex. [4]

The STOP THE BOMB campaign, which is directed against the Iranian nuclear program and advocates for the support of the democratic opposition, criticizes the government's policy. STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker says: "If Islamist terrorist organizations attack Israel, solidarity is needed. We call on the Federal Government to clearly and unequivocally condemn the attacks on Israel and Iran's support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The attacks against Israel show once again that cooperation with the Iranian regime does not bring stability but intensifies war, terror and instability. The right answer to the attacks on Israel would be new sanctions against Iran, in cooperation with the US government. "

On May 4, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas did not criticize Iran, but in a joint statement with the foreign ministers of France and the United Kingdom criticized the tightening of US sanctions against Iran. The nuclear agreement with Iran was key to increasing stability and security in the Middle East region, the statement claims. [5]

_{[1] Translation by Memri TV. Compare https://www.memri.org/tv/palestinian-islamic-jihad-showcases-military-capabilties-iranian-tv-right-capture-israeli-soldiers-tunners-rockets-iran-support . For a report on the Palestinian Jihad see "Counter Extremism Project": https://www.counterextremism.com/threat/palestinian-islamic-jihad .}

_{[2] For example, in a speech given by Khamenei in December 2014, which is linked to the IZH website: "From the beginning, the Islamic Republic government has shown enmity against the Zionist regime. This policy has continued until today. ... We helped Hezbollah of Lebanon – which is a Shia group – in the same way that we helped Hamas and Islamic Jihad and we will continue to do that. ... I announced- and this will definitely happen - that the West Bank should be armed like Gaza".The speech is no longer online (May 2020). You can find a screenshot here. Compare also television broadcast "Kontraste": „Mit Israelhassern gegen Extremismus?“ transmitted June 14, 2018, still to be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlfSymcFAH0.}

_{[3] https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/iran-file/european-actions-remain-insufficient-to-appease-iran}

_{[4] https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/newsroom/instex/2185396}

_{[5] https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/newsroom/news/e3-eu-statement-on-jcpoa/2215416}

STOP THE BOMB demands: Revolutionary Guards in Germany on the Terror-List

Berlin, April 9, 2019

After the US government put the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on the terrorist list, the STOP THE BOMB campaign calls on the Federal Government to take equivalent steps.

Stop the Bomb spokeswoman Ulrike Becker said: "The US government has named the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as what they are: the main tool of the Iranian regime to spread terror internally and externally. The Federal Government's policy ignores terrorist organizations controlled by the Islamic Republic. This is a game with fire, because the regime intensified its terrorist activities in Europe, where governments rolled out the red carpet for the Iranian regime with the Nuclear Deal. A change of this policy is overdue. "

The Revolutionary Guards are referred to in the preamble to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran of 1979 as an "ideological army", which is not only intended to defend national borders, but also to enforce the validity of divine law in the world through jihad. [1] Explicitly, the Revolutionary Guards are not defense forces. The Revolutionary Guards control the Iranian missile and nuclear program. The “Quds” brigades are responsible for the "export" of the revolution. This unit is conducting terrorist attacks worldwide. The name "Quds" (Arabic for Jerusalem) symbolizes the desire to destroy Israel. The brigades support Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthi militias in Yemen and hold the Assad regime in Syria with military support in power.

The Quds Brigades are also responsible for numerous murders of Iranian exiles. This unit also plans assassinations in Europe and Germany. An agent of the Quds Brigades spent a year spying on former SPD military commissioner and chairman of the German-Israeli society Reinhold Robbe as a potential target.

STOP THE BOMB also warns German companies about doing business with Iran. Becker continues, "Anyone doing business with Iran almost always supports the Revolutionary Guards, who control large sections of the Iranian economy."

[1] Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran: www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/ir00000_.html

Jewish Museum Berlin as a Mouthpiece for anti-Zionist propaganda of the Iranian regime

Cultural Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran received by Museum Director Schäfer

Berlin, March 17,  2019

The campaign STOP THE BOMB protests against the meeting of the Cultural Council of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Berlin, Seyed Ali Moujani with the Director of the Jewish Museum Berlin, Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer.

The cultural department of the Iranian Embassy in Berlin distributed a report that Moujani was received in the museum on March 8, 2019. Moujani got a guided tour and through the actual exhibition about Jerusalem and posed with Schäfer for a photo. [1]

STOP THE BOMB protests against the reception of a representative of the regime that threatens Jews in Germany and around the world with terror and aims to destroy the Jewish state of Israel. STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker explains: "With the invitation, the Jewish Museum gives the Iranian Embassy the opportunity to make its antisemitic anti-Zionism part of the public debate."

The Cultural Council of the Iranian Embassy said after the visit, that he agreed with Schäfer that the equation of antisemitism with anti-Zionism was a problem that needed to be scrutinized. Moujani demanded that the "line between Zionism and Judaism" needs to be preserved, such as "the border between IS and Islam."

Becker continued: "The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran finds links to the work of the Jewish Museum Berlin, that has in the past invited speakers that support a boycott of Israel. The invitation of an emissary of the antisemitic Iranian terror regime passes all red lines. Peter Schäfer must explain his policy publicly and the responsible minister of state Monika Grütters has to draw personal and institutional consequences."

[1] http://web.irankultur.com/?p=9614

STOP THE BOMB criticizes cooperation with Iranian banks

Berlin, November 15, 2018

While the US has recently imposed stricter sanctions on Iranian banks, Germany is taking the opposite route. In particular, European experts are working on financing options for trade with Iran. However, there are still problems with the EU's targeted "Special Purpose Vehicle" to circumvent US sanctions.

Today a representative of the Iranian Melli Bank informs German companies about ways to finance trade with Iran on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Rhineland-Palatinate. [1] The Melli Bank was on the EU sanctions list between 2007 and the end of the Iran deal in July 2015 for its financial support to companies involved in the Iranian nuclear program. [2]

Iranian banks are not only involved in financing the nuclear program, but also in money laundering and terrorist group financing. That is why Iran is also on the black list of the FATF, an international body that works against money laundering and terrorist financing. Although FATF sanctions on Iran were temporarily suspended, they could come back into force in February 2019. One reason is that Tehran refuses to stop supporting Hezbollah. A few days ago, the powerful Guardian Council rejected a bill on joining the UN convention against terrorist financing and stated that the FATF's regulations violate Sharia law and Iran’s constitution. [3]

Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman for the STOP THE BOMB campaign, criticizes: "While institutions such as the FATF are targeting Iran’s terror funding, German policymakers are creating instruments that help ensure that the Iranian regime does not have to stop its behavior. It is not the Iranian regime but its European partners that change their policy. Germany’s Iran policy therefore leads more and more into a legal gray area on the edge of legality. "

Europe’s Iran policy does not protect EU countries from Iranian state terror on European soil: In recent months, terror plots to attack dissidents in Paris and Denmark have been exposed. [4]

[1] https://www.rheinhessen.ihk24.de/international/iran-rheinland-pfalz-fachtagung/4230368  

[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32010R0668

[3] https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-guardian-council-rejects-terror-financing-bill-fatf/29581602.html?fbclid=IwAR23KzMlHnins1uW-TglK8UtQjJCLY0oucHlZ9a9Pta52w5ZzBYHZpJVAGc; Iranian officials repeatedly boast about financing terrorist groups, compare here.

[4] Compare https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-security/france-points-finger-at-iran-over-bomb-plot-seizes-assets-idUSKCN1MC12; https://www.apnews.com/52e7ece8f96c40d2bfb8475280e0e587 and https://sethfrantzman.com/2018/10/30/the-iranian-plot-that-shut-down-denmark/  

STOP THE BOMB welcomes new US sanctions against Iran

Berlin / Vienna, November 4, 2018

The coalition STOP THE BOMB welcomes the new US sanctions against the Iranian dictatorship. Maximum pressure on the Iranian regime is needed to counter the dangers of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, the continued threats against Israel, Iran’s aggressive expansionist policies in the region and against the brutal oppression of the Iranian people and their struggle for freedom. The coalition STOP THE BOMB is working for an isolation of the Iranian regime and for support of the Iranian opposition.

Stephan Grigat, the academic director of STOP THE BOMB Austria comments: „Instead of supporting the antisemitic terror regime in Iran, the EU should consider the new US-sanctions as an opportunity to rethink their policies. Europe’s Iran policy has proven to be illusory. It neither succeeded in improving the situation in Iran, nor in the region. The Iranian nuclear program was not ended through the nuclear deal, instead it has been institutionalized and legalized.”

The coalition STOP THE BOMB calls for substantial changes regarding Germany’s Iran-policy: No support for the regime in Teheran but every kind of support for the democratic, secular opposition.

After murder plot against members of the Iranian opposition: STOP THE BOMB calls for political consequences

Berlin, August 27, 2018

The STOP THE BOMB campaign calls for the expulsion of Iranian spies and the shutdown of Iranian regime institutions in Germany as a consequence of the murder plot against members of the Iranian opposition in Europe.

Since July 2, Assadollah A., an operative of the Iranian intelligence agency MOIS is being held in German detention. The Iranian, an accredited counsellor of the Iranian embassy in Vienna since 2014 is being accused of having tried to coordinate a bomb attack on a meeting of members of the Iranian opposition near Paris. [1]

According to members of the Iranian opposition the plot can be traced back to the Supreme National Security Council and Hassan Rohani. A special committee of the Iranian government is allegedly exerting pressure on the German government to release the MOIS operative. [2]

In an open letter to Angela Merkel, the former secretary of the interior Gerhart Baum, former secretary of justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and Horst Teltschik, a former advisor of chancellor Helmut Kohl are advising not to give in to this pressure, as they consider this to be „an invitation to acts of terror“. [3]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments: „The Iranian regime's typical reaction to any kind of opposition is murder and oppression, even in Europe. It’s highly significant to stop this kind of state-sponsored terror. There mustn’t be any shady deals with the Iranian regime — Assadollah A. has to be brought to justice. We call for the expulsion of all Iranian operatives as well as for a closing down of the Iranian embassy and the consulates that remain a danger for national security.“

In the past, more than 160 exiled Iranians have been killed by operatives of the Iranian secret service. [4] Since the nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, both intelligence and terrorism related activities have intensified in Germany and Europe. In July 2016 a Berlin court sentenced an Iranian operative to two years and four months in jail for creating movement profiles of members of the Iranian opposition. [5] In March 2017 the same court sentenced an Iranian spy to four years who had been shadowing Reinhold Robbe, president of the German-Israelis Friendship Association DIG. [6] Additionally, in January 2018 the Federal Prosecutor’s office ordered searches of homes and businesses belonging to ten suspected Iranian spies who had been spying out Jewish and Israeli targets in Germany for an Iranian secret service. [7]

(1) https://www.generalbundesanwalt.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2018/Pressemitteilung-vom-11-07-2018.html 

(2) Press Conference of the German Section of the Nationaler Widerstandsrat Iran in Berlin, August 22, 2018.

(3) Letter of Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, Gerhart Baum, Horst Teltschik and others to Angela Merkel, August 17, 2018.

(4) http://www.iranhrdc.org/files.php?force&file=reports_en/No_Safe_Haven_May08_527697578.pdf

(5) https://www.hamburg.de/contentblob/8873924/38b7f14ba1da5dd3693b6b1a833d9c43/data/verfassungsschutzbericht-2016-lfv-hh.pdf  (page 217)

(6) https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/anschlag/iranischer-spion-in-berlin-vor-gericht-51033514.bild.html

(7) https://www.dw.com/en/raids-across-germany-target-suspected-iranian-spies/a-42165145 

Protests against the antisemitic Quds-March in Berlin and Hamburg

Berlin, 8. June 2018  

We are sorry, a translation will be provided soon on this page!
Die Kampagne STOP THE BOMB ruft für den morgigen Samstag, den 9. Juni zur Teilnahme an den Protestdemonstrationen gegen den Quds-Marsch auf sowie zur Kundgebung gegen das aus dem Iran gesteuerte „Islamische Zentrum Hamburg“ (IZH) am 10. Juni in Hamburg.

Der so genannte „Quds-Tag“ (Quds = arabisch für Jerusalem) wurde 1979 vom iranischen Revolutionsführer Khomeini als politischer Kampftag für die Eroberung Jerusalems und Vernichtung Israels etabliert. Jedes Jahr findet er am Ende des Ramadan statt.

Ulrike Becker, Sprecherin von STOP THE BOMB sagt: <q>„Anfang dieser Woche hat Irans ‚oberster Führer’ Ali Khamenei Israel erneut als ‚Krebsgeschwür’ bezeichnet, das ‚ausgemerzt’ werden müsse. Der Quds-Tag ist eine Kampfansage des islamistischen iranischen Regimes gegen die größte jüdische Gemeinschaft der Welt: gegen Israel. Es ist nicht hinnehmbar, dass mitten in Berlin zur Vernichtung Israels aufgerufen wird."</q>

STOP THE BOMB kritisiert zudem, dass aus dem Iran gesteuerte Organisationen in Deutschland von Bundes- und Landesbehörden unterstützt werden. Dazu gehört das „Islamische Zentrum Hamburg“ (IZH), jahrelang das organisatorische Zentrum des Quds-Marsches, das mit der Stadt Hamburg über einen Staatsvertrag verbunden ist. Dazu gehört außerdem die IGS (Islamische Gemeinschaft schiitischer Gemeinden), deren Leiter Mahmoud Khalilzadeh laut Bundesregierung dem „politisch-religiösen Establishment der Islamischen Republik Iran“ zugerechnet wird und deren Funktionäre zur Teilnahme am Quds-Marsch aufrufen. Dennoch erhält die IGS mehrere Hunderttausend Euro aus Bundesmitteln.

Ulrike Becker weiter: „Gesellschaftliches Engagement gegen Antisemitismus läuft ins Leere, wenn Verbände, die sich an Aufrufen zur Vernichtung Israels beteiligen, durch die Politik hofiert werden. Die Kooperation mit diesen Verbänden muss aufhören, wie die Kooperation mit dem antisemitischen iranischen Regime.“

Antifaschistisches Berliner Bündnis gegen den Al Quds-Tag:
Demonstration: "Gegen jeden Antisemitismus – Kein Quds-Marsch 2018 in Berlin!"
9. Juni 2018, Beginn: 12:00 Uhr, U-Bahnhof Wilmersdorfer Straße, Berlin
Mobilisierung auf Facebook

Bündnis gegen den Quds-Marsch
Demonstration: Gemeinsam gegen Antisemitismus, Islamismus und Homophobie - Solidarität mit Israel und der iranischen Demokratiebewegung!
9. Juni 2018, Beginn: 13:30 Uhr, U-Bahnhof Nollendorfplatz, Berlin
Mobilisierung auf Facebook

Junges Forum der Deutsch-Israelischen Gesellschaft Hamburg
Kundgebung: Kein Al-Quds-Tag in Hamburg!
10. Juni, Beginn: 17.00 Uhr
Ort: Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg, Schöne Aussicht 36, 22085 Hamburg

STOP THE BOMB demands the end of “business as usual” with the Iranian regime

Berlin, 11 May 2018

The STOP THE BOMB campaign calls upon the German government to use the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the Islamic Republic of Iran for a restart of Germany’s Iran policy.

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "The hope of especially European leaders that the agreement would help pacify Syria never materialized. Instead of moderating Iran’s behavior, Tehran after the agreement escalated its expansionist and terrorist policies with the help of militias in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. Iran’s support of Syria’s dictator Assad lead to the death of half a million people and the displacement of millions from their homes in Syria. The Iranian regime now threatens to provoke a war with Israel."

The JCPOA sets limits to Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium in the coming years, but does not limit its ballistic missile program, capable of launching nuclear weapons. Europe’s leaders efforts for peace talks in Syria turned out to be largely vain hopes. In Iran, there is no glasnost-style opening in sight.

At the same time, the situation is escalating on the Syrian-Israeli border. After Iranian forces in Syria launched a rocket attack on Israel, the Israeli army responded with attacks against the Iranian military infrastructure in Syria.

STOP THE BOMB calls upon the German Government to impose crippling sanctions against Iran’s entire missile program. The regional aggression of the Iranian regime must also be contained. Europe must list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Sanctions must also target Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. In addition, further sanctions should be imposed on the regime's human rights abuses. The German government should start beginning to support the democratic opposition in Iran.

Ulrike Becker: "Germany’s Iran policy, grounded in the belief that the deal would transform Iran into a moderate political partner, has failed. On the contrary, the deal lead to more aggressive external policies and to more oppression in Iran. The German Government must end its support of the Iranian regime and instead implement tough sanctions. What we need is a support of the democratic opposition and the protest movement in Iran. There will only be an end of the Iranian threat to the region, to the world and to Europe with a democratic Iran."

Federal President Steinmeier courts Islamist association IGS

Reception of an association with close ties to the Iranian regime scheduled for Monday

Berlin, April 29, 2018

The campaign STOP THE BOMB protests against the invitation of the "Islamic Community of Shiite Communities" (IGS) scheduled for this Monday to Schloss Bellevue. [1]

According to the Federal Government, there are close connections of the association to the Islamist leadership in Tehran. The chairman of the association Mahmood Khalilzadeh belongs to the "political-religious establishment" in Iran. Among the members of the IGS, which is an umbrella organization of different Shiite communities, are extremist associations such as the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH). There are indications that some member organizations have links to the Islamist-terrorist organization Hezbollah. Reza Ramezani, the head of the IZH, is a member of the “Council of Scholars” of the IGS. He is considered to be a deputy of the Iranian leader Ali Chamenei in Germany, and he is a member of the influential "Council of Experts" of the Iranian regime. According to the German government, the IZH is the "most important representative body of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Germany and one of its most important propaganda centers in Europe". [2]

Other members of the IGS also disseminate the Iranian state ideology and the regime’s hostility towards Israel in Germany. Last year, Ali Chaukair, Youth Commissioner of the IGS, called upon young Muslims to participate at the antisemitic “Quds march” in Berlin. [3] On its Facebook page, the IGS declared it wants to spread messages from Iran’s leader Chamenei in Germany. [4] The IGS fights for the children's headscarf [5], condemns gay marriage to be a "rebellion and rejection of the divine commandments" and demonstrated their Islamist attitude in the fight against the promotion of a liberal Islam. The association declared that attempts to promote a liberal Islam in Germany are to be seen as a "denigration, vituperation and insult of the religious traditions and sanctuaries of the religious communities" which follow the aim of “undermining all religious morality and ethics as well as values ​​and norms”. [6] At the same time, the IGS tries to silence its critics. Currently, a lawsuit is filed against the human rights activist Dr. Kazem Moussavi, who critically points to links between IGS officials and the Iranian regime. [7]

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "While the issue of Islamist antisemitism is finally discussed in the public debate, the Federal President is legitimizing an organization that represents the agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran. While the Iranian regime's expansionist policy becomes a topic in the German discourse, Steinmeier supports an organization that follows Tehran's line against Israel, secular Muslims and homosexuals. "

Following public protests, in July 2017 the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs withdrew the support for a workshop organized by the IGS. [8] Nevertheless, the IGS continues to receive funds from the Federal program "Living Democracy ", and also receives 283,000 Euros from a EU program for the prevention of extremism. [9]

Ulrike Becker: "Steinmeier's open door policy for the IGS is part of a fatal strategy which seeks to cooperate with Islamist organizations that are often controlled by radical Arab organizations or by the Turkish or Iranian state. This policy must be stopped as well as the funding of these organizations from Federal funds as it threatens secular and moderate Muslims, endangers the democratic integration of refugees in Germany and helps to spread antisemitism, rather than curbing it."

_{[1] http://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Termine/DE/Frank-Walter-Steinmeier/2018/04/180430-Schiitische-Gemeinde.html} 

_{[2] Deutscher Bundestag Drucksache 19/545 v. 26.1.2018. http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/19/005/1900545.pdf}

_{[3] https://offenkundiges.de/wo-warst-du-letztes-jahr-am-quds-tag/}    

_{[4] https://www.facebook.com/igsdeutschland/posts/898802316864471?comment_id=898837066860996&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D und: https://www.facebook.com/notes/islamische-gemeinschaft-der-schiitischen-gemeinden-deutschlands-igs/antwortbrief-junger-menschen-aus-dem-westen-an-ayatollah-khamenei/750669201677784/}

_{[5] https://www.facebook.com/igsdeutschland/posts/1617798921631470}   

_{[6] www.igs-deutschland.org/news/presse/presseerklaerung/421-pressemitteilung-der-igs-zur-ehe-fuer-alle}

_{[7] iranian-americans.com/business-consultant-tied-to-iranian-regime-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-iranian-dissident-in-germany/}

_{[8]  http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/aktionen/mustafa-institut.html} 

_{[9] http://www.bild.de/politik/inland/iran/anfrage-gruene-zu-igs-54579528.bild.html}

FATF Meeting: Iran Must Remain on the Blacklist of Terrorism Sponsors!

Berlin, 19.2.2018

Since Sunday, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international agency for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, holds a six day meeting, which will also deal with Iran. Iran is considered to be a "non-cooperating high-risk country", as Iran’s funding of terrorist groups threatens the international financial system. [1] In order to be removed from the list, Teheran had been working on a so-called "Action Plan", which expired at the end of January 2018. At its February 2018 meeting, the FATF will assess progress made by Iran and take appropriate action.

The content of the "Action Plan" has not been published, but it seems impossible that the problem of terrorist financing can be solved. Ali-Akbar Velayati, a former foreign minister and now one of the key advisors to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said in September 2016 that it was not in the Iranian national interest to bow to the FATF guidelines. These were directed against Iran's "campaigns against Zionism and its supporters" in Palestine and Lebanon and against the fighters "for the glory of Islam". As an example, Velayati explicitly named Hezbollah and called for a policy of “resistance” to the FATF. [2]

Iranian officials repeatedly boast about financing terrorist groups. [3] Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's general secretary, said: " The budget of Hizbullah, its salaries, its expenses, its food, its drink, its weapons, and its missiles come from the Islamic Republic of Iran. … No law will be able to prevent this money from reaching us.” [4]

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "Iran is the largest sponsor of terrorist groups worldwide and must therefore remain on the FATF list of non-cooperating countries. The punitive measures against Teheran should also be resumed. The idea of cooperation with the Iranian regime in the fight against international terrorism is an illusion. The risk that the FATF loses its credibility is far greater than the loss of Iran’s fake cooperation. Moreover, the FATF risks losing all influence in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. "

The listing of the FATF is one of the biggest remaining barriers to doing business with the Iranian regime. The German banking supervisory authority Bafin stipulates that the origins of funds must ­be clarified when dealing with countries that do not cooperate in the fight against terrorist financing. [5] Banks that finance Iran business must therefore undertake elaborate and costly audits, which hampers business on a large scale.

[1] See FATF website, http://www.fatf-gafi.org/countries/#Iran; see also the "public statement" of the FATF of February 24, 2017, http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/public-statement-february-2017.html.

[2] Velayati challenges FATF saying it does not serve Iran national interest, Iran Sept. 4, 2016, http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82217290/.

[3] A list of statements can be found here: http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/fatf.html

[4] "Hassan Nasrallah: Hizbullah's Money and Missiles Reach Us Directly from Iran, No Law Will Prevent This," Middle East Media Research Institute, June 24, 2016. https://www.memri.org/tv/hassan-nasrallah-hizbullahs-money-and-missiles-reach-us-directly-iran-no-law-will-prevent/transcript

[5] See letters of the Banking Supervision Bafin, April 5, 2016, https://www.bafin.de/SharedDocs/Veroeffentlichungen/DE/Rundschreiben/2016/rs_1602_gw_fatf.html

STOP THE BOMB demands political support for protesters in Iran

Berlin, 1 January 2018

The STOP THE BOMB campaign calls on the Federal Government to support the Iranians who fight for freedom in Iran and to prepare sanctions against the repressive forces of the Islamic Republic.

On December 28, 2017, protests began in the northern Iranian city of Mashhad against price increases and have since spread to the whole country. The demonstrations against mismanagement and corruption very quickly turned political and protesters now fight against the Islamic Republic itself, against the terrorist expansion of the regime, against President Rohani and against religious leader Khamenei. [4] According to press reports, the regime killed at least 12 people and arrested numerous people whose whereabouts are unknown.

The STOP THE BOMB campaign demands a fundamental change in Germany’s policy towards Iran. Spokeswoman Ulrike Becker says: "The nationwide protests against the Islamist mullah regime in Iran make it obvious that the Federal Government's Iran policy has reached a dead end. For decades, Germany’s Iran policy has supported an Islamist dictatorship that today can only be upheld with utmost violence against its own people. We demand an end of the collaboration with a terror spreading regime which is rejected internally and externally by the people of Iran and by Iran's neighbors. We expect clear political support of the demands for freedom and democracy in Iran."

STOP THE BOMB founding member Fathiyeh Naghibzadeh directly addresses the Federal Government: "In 2009, the West abandoned millions of Iranian people who demonstrated for months against the fundamentalist dictatorship. It has been claimed that only the middle class has demonstrated while poor people still supported the Islamist system. Now the uprising has started in the provinces, and the slogans of the poor against the fundamentalists are even more radical. I call on Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel to take a clear stance against the dictatorship in Iran and to support the freedom-loving people. Silence or even support of the mullahs will isolate Germany and Europe in the region and worldwide."

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IhBIyi6XLM, https://twitter.com/potkazar/status/946673902851448832

2 https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/946360639605346305, https://twitter.com/AlirezaNader/status/946839350041563136 

3 https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-mashhad-protests-high-prices-food/28944481.html 

4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7KeVuYDZmA&feature=youtu.be&t=16

EU funds for umbrella organization influenced from Iran

STOP THE BOMB demands stop of funding

Berlin, December 18, 2017

The STOP THE BOMB campaign protests against the financing of the "Islamic Community of Shiite Communities of Germany" (IGS) by EU funds, which are forwarded by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), according to BILD-Online. The EU's "Internal Security Fund" intends to use the money to promote "deradicalization." The plan is to disburse 283,000 euros by the end of 2019." [1]

However, according to the German government, the IGS itself is considered to be influenced by "extremism." The umbrella organization was founded by the "Islamic Center Hamburg" (IZH), one of the Iranian regime's "most important propaganda centers" in Europe. IZH head Ayatollah Ramezani is chairman of the IGS's "Council of Scholars." IZH maintains contacts with individuals and institutions of the terrorist organization Hezbollah. [2]

In a July 2017 press release, the IGS condemned "marriage for all" as a "rebellion and rejection of the divine commandments" and the promotion of liberal Islam as a "denigration, vilification, and insult to the religious traditions and sanctities of religious communities, with the aim of undermining any religious morals and ethics, values, and norms." [3]

According to the Press Shia agency, Ayatollah Ramezani stated this summer that the activities of the IZH are "mainly focused on inviting Muslims to unity and focusing on fighting the Zionist enemy as the main enemy of the Islamic nation." [4]  

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments, "The promotion of the IGS through EU funds is a scandal as is the involvement of the BKA. We demand an immediate stop to the funding. The decision to make Iranian-controlled institutions partners of democracy can only be described as a state failure in the fight against Islamism. This policy endangers the safety of those people who fight against Islamism and anti-Semitism and who advocate moderate Islam. It also makes a mockery of any notion of integration."

The recently released film "Glaubenskrieger" by Till Schauder shows how democratic Muslims are intimidated after criticizing IGS and IZH. [5] The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs also promotes IGS. After protests in the summer, funds for a workshop that IGS wanted to hold were blocked. According to BILD Online, however, the funding was merely reallocated. [6]

[1] www.bild.de/politik/inland/islamismus/eu-gelder-bka-igs-extremismus-54204484.bild.html 

[2] dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/18/133/1813362.pdf 

[3] www.igs-deutschland.org/news/presse/presseerklaerung/421-pressemitteilung-der-igs-zur-ehe-fuer-alle. 

[4] www.iraniansforum.com/eu/federal-government-ignores-threat-to-iranian-opponents-and-jews-in-germany    

[5] See film "Faith Warriors" starting at minute 40: www.ardmediathek.de/tv/WDR-DOK/Glaubenskrieger/WDR-Fernsehen/Video on Youtube still available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=016DjPa2dZ8&t=2409s  

[6] de.stopthebomb.net/actions/mustafa-institute.html

Banking-Forum for a Terror-Regime

STOP THE BOMB protests against "Banking and Business Forum Iran Europe"

Berlin, November 12, 2017

The STOP THE BOMB campaign protests against the "Banking and Business Forum Iran Europe", which will take place on 15 and 16 November as part of the "Euro Finance Week" in Frankfurt. The forum wants to remove the financial barriers that currently exist for the business with Iran. Among the speakers are German and Iranian bankers as well as Tarek Al-Wazir, the Hessian Minister of Economic Affairs and Omid Nouripour, foreign policy spokesman of the German Green Party. [1]

Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman for the STOP THE BOMB campaign, criticizes the involvement of Federal authorities: "The list of speakers shows that the initiative for boosting Iran's business comes from the government. Institutions such as the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bafin) and the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (Bafa) that are responsible for risk control of foreign trade, are involved in propaganda for trade with Iran. "

Due to its involvement in terrorist financing, Iran is considered to be a “high risk” country and a threat to the international financial system by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). [2] German companies investing in Iran also risk US sanctions.

Iran-backed militias fight in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. In Syria, Iran's ally Assad threatens to occupy Raqqa, just recently liberated from ISIS by Kurdish Arab militias. Hezbollah commanders are preparing another war in Lebanon against Israel, while Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri has resigned in fear of an Iranian terrorist attack.

Becker comments: "This banking forum is scandalous: German bankers and politicians in Frankfurt are rolling out the red carpet for a regime which is responsible for the flight of millions from Syria and Iraq."

The Banking Forum is not the first of its kind. In 2014, another Iran Business Forum was canceled after protests. [3]

[1] https://www.dfvmg.com/konferenzen/euro-finance-week/wochenubersicht-2017/mittwoch-15-november-2017/5th-banking-and-business-forum-iran-europe/sprecher

[2] http://www.fatf-gafi.org/countries/#Iran

[3] http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/press/press-releases.html#c2850

 

 

Prominent Journalists, Scholars and Human Rights Activists call for a Stop of the support for Islamist Associations

Berlin, July 26, 2017

In an open letter to the Ministry of Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, more than 80 signatories call for the end of the support for associations that are influenced by the Islamist regime of Iran. Among them are Günter Wallraff, Micha Brumlik, Seyran Ates, Anetta Kahane, the German-Israeli Friendship Society Berlin and Brandenburg, the Young Socialists Niedersachsen, exile-Iranian oppositionists and many other scholars and human rights activists and organizations.

The critique focuses on one workshop in particular, which is organized by the “Islamic Community of Shiite Communities in Germany” (IGS) and conducted by the Al-Mustafa Institute, whose "mother university" is the Mustafa University in Qom/Iran. This university is "responsible for the export of Islamist Shiite thoughts; its ideology and activities are incompatible with the liberal democratic principles of the Federal Republic of Germany”, the letter says.

More generally, the letter criticizes the support of the IGS. According to newspaper reports, the association receives 18,225 euros from the Ministry of Family in 2017.

According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Hamburg, pro-Iranian institutions in Germany are principally to be seen as "instruments of the Iranian government". The IGS is such a pro-Iranian institution. Reza Ramezani, chair of the IGS’ Council of Scholars, is also a member of the Council of Experts in Iran, a constitutional body of the regime. According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, he is considered the deputy of the supreme spiritual leader Khamenei in Europe.

The Islamist worldview of the IGS becomes obvious in a recent statement by the association. In this statement, the IGS declares that attempts to promote a liberal Islam in Germany are to be seen as a "denigration, vituperation and insult of the religious traditions and sanctuaries of the religious communities" which follow the aim of “undermining all religious morality and ethics as well as values ​​and norms”. The decision of the German parliament to approve same sex marriage is termed to be "an obvious rebellion and rejection of the divine commandments".

Against this backdrop, the signatories criticize the support of the IGS by the Federal Government: "A cooperation with organizations, that are influenced by the Islamist regime of Iran does not promote democracy but threatens it by providing legitimacy to the undemocratic, Islamist, misogynist, homophobic and antisemitic ideology of the Iranian regime."

Organizer of Antisemitic March at German FM's Conference

Campaign STOP THE BOMB criticizes the invitation of Hamidreza Torabi to the German Foreign Office

Berlin, May 25, 2017

On Monday, May 22, a conference on the "Responsibility of Religions for Peace" took place at the German Foreign Office [1]. A number of Ayatollahs from Iran and Germany were invited, among them Hamidreza Torabi.

Torabi is the chairman of the "Islamic Academy of Germany", which belongs to the "Islamic Center of Hamburg" (IZH). The IZH is controlled by the Iranian Regime and is involved in the organization of the annual anti-Israeli Al Quds march. During the Al-Quds march last year, Torabi carried a poster calling for the destruction of Israel [2].

FM Gabriel's other guests included the Iranian ambassador to Germany Ali Majedi and Seyed Abdolhassan Navab, president of the "University of Religions and Denominations" from Qom / Iran. This university is an Islamist academy, which adheres to totalitarian and antisemitic Iranian ideology. [3]

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "The invitation of an Islamist who spreads hatred against Israel to a so-called peace conference of the German Foreign Office once again shows the dramatic consequences of the dialogue with the Iranian regime. Anyone who aims to make the Islamic Republic a partner ends up with antisemites in his house and is becomes entangled in protecting a regime that is feared and hated throughout the Middle East because of its expansionist wars. "

The campaign STOP THE BOMB calls for a ban of the antisemitic Quds march in Berlin, which calls for the destruction of Israel, and therefore violates the idea of international understanding. According to the scientific service of the German Bundestag, this is a criterion to take legal measures against the march. [4]

1 http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Aussenpolitik/Themen/KulturDialog/Aktuell/170522_Friedensverantwortung.html

2 iraniansforum.com/eu/fuhrungsmitglied-des-islamischen-zentrum-hamburg-beim-al-quds-marsch-in-berlin-2016/

3 http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/veranstaltungen/dialogue.html

4 https://www.bundestag.de/blob/406352/56314c0ebaa8af3f0ded702878565653/wd-3-178-14-pdf-data.pdf, p.10

Protests against the invitation of an Iranian delegation to the German Parliament

Berlin, 6 March 2017

This morning, a delegation of Iranian deputies arrives in Berlin for a week of political talks. The delegation will be accompanied by the chairmen of the German-Iranian parliamentary group Rolf Mützenich (SPD) and Thomas Feist (CDU). Talks are scheduled with Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag, with Patricia Lips (CDU), Bernd Fabritius (CSU), Simone Raatz (SPD), Corinna Rüffer (Green Party) and Kersten Steinke (Left Party). On Thursday, the delegation will participate at a plenary session and will be seated on the “tribune of honor”.

STOP THE BOMB protests against the invitation and calls upon members of parliament to begin a dialogue with the democratic Iranian opposition and with human rights activists who had fled Iran. There have been protests in Iran for weeks in the Ahwaz region, which are brutally suppressed. In spite of this oppression, asylum applications of dissidents from the region have been rejected recently.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments: "Members of the German Bundestag should not give legitimacy to a dictatorship that oppresses the opposition. Parliamentarians in a democracy should not act as lobbyists for economic contracts with a state that massively violates human rights and threatens to destroy Israel."

Iran is largely responsible for the destruction of Syria, the expulsion of the Sunni population and the largest refugee crisis for decades. The Iranian theocracy has the highest number of executions per capita. No free press exists in Iran; millions of internet sites are blocked. In January, Amnesty International published a report about the persistent use of cruel and inhuman punishments, including floggings, amputations and forced blinding. In January, a journalist was lashed 40 times for "inaccurate" reporting.

STOP THE BOMB supports a rally of the German-Israeli Friendship Society (Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft Berlin und Potsdam) against a reception of the delegation by the German-Iranian parliamentary group, which will be held on Monday, March 6th, at 6 pm at the Hotel Adlon, Pariser Platz.

Poster campaign against the invitation of Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif to the Munich Security Conference

Munich, February 18, 2017

The STOP THE BOMB campaign protests against the invitation of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to the Munich Security Conference with a poster truck campaign in Munich. 

The posters criticize the increasing numbers of executions in Iran, the Holocaust denial of the regime, the oppression of women and the illusion that the leadership of Iran can be a moderate partner in the region as a result of the nuclear deal.

This illusion is particularly evident in the Syrian war. Only a few days after the nuclear agreement in July 2015, Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the Iranian Quds Brigade, traveled to Moscow, where he planned an intensification of the attacks on the Sunni civilian population of Syria in cooperation with the Russian government. This lead to disastrous destruction of the country and to the largest refugee crisis in the past decades. 

Foreign Minister Zarif is by no means moderate. He stands for the global ambitions of a revolutionary Islamism beyond the borders of Iran: “We have defined a global vocation, both in the Constitution and in the ultimate objectives of the Islamic revolution … I believe that we do not exist without our revolutionary goals.”[1]

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker emphasizes: "The Iranian regime cannot be a partner. It is an illusion that Hassan Rouhani and his foreign minister, Mohammad Zarif, are moderate politicians who might change Iran’s dictatorial, antisemitic and anti-Western course. Closer cooperation strengthens the regime instead of changing it. A policy of cooperation with the Iranian leadership is dangerous for the people of Iran, the region and the whole world."

The truck campaign lasts from January 17-19. More pictures can be found here.

_{[1] Ali Alfoneh and Reuel Marc Gerecht, An Iranian Moderate Exposed. Everyone thought Iran's foreign minister was a pragmatist. They were wrong, in: The New Republic, January 23, 2014.}

 

 

Iranian agent targeting Pro-Israel Group

Iran’s terror export poses a threat to Germany 

Berlin / Hannover / Frankfurt, January 16, 2017

According to the indictment by the Public Prosecutor General of the Federal Court of Justice, the German politician Reinhold Robbe (Social Democratic Party) had become the target of an Iranian agent. Robbe is the former President of the German-Israeli Friendship Society (DIG) and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces. The agent made a movement protocol and observed the main office of the DIG. The attorney general assumes that attacks on the former DIG president and other targets had been planned.

Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman for the STOP THE BOMB campaign, explains: "The planned attack against a German politician shows that a partnership with the Iranian regime is an illusion. The presence of Iranian embassy staff in Germany is rather a threat to democratic civil society, and especially to the Iranian opposition groups in exile who are particularly targeted by the Iranian regime. The Federal Government must act now and expel all persons working for the Iranian Intelligence Services. The government must effectively prohibit activities of institutions in Germany that support Iranian espionage and terrorist activities." 

Tibor Luckenbach, Chairman of the Board of DIG’s Young Forum, adds: "The Iranian agent posed an obvious danger to Jewish institutions and institutions with relations to Israel. This demonstrates once more that Iran is not only not interested in peace, but is also taking very concrete actions against friends of Israel. The planned attacks against the DIG and other organizations proves that an alliance with an antisemitic dictatorship is not possible."

Arne Zillmer, Deputy Chairman of Lower Saxony's Young Social Democrats (Jusos), demands: "The appeasement policy vis-à-vis the Iranian regime and the ignorance of massive human rights violations must end now. The chairman of the Social Democrats, Sigmar Gabriel, who as the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs promotes closer relations with Iran, must finally realize the murderous character of the regime controlling Iran.“ 

Kazem Moussavi, editor in chief of ‘Iran Appeasement Monitor’ comments: "Although the Iranian agent Syed Mustafa Haider has been under arrest since July 2016, German security authorities have met Iranian Intelligence Minister Alavi at the Federal Chancellery in ​​September 2016. This risky policy signals to the Iranian regime that the terrorist threat posed by the Islamic Republic is not taken seriously. It is a scandal that German parliamentarians have so far shown no sign of solidarity with their colleague Reinhold Robbe, and instead continue courting Iranian officials at the Bundestag."

On January 20, the German Parliamentarians receive a delegation from the Iranian Parliament. [1] Over 162 Iranians in exile were murdered abroad by agents of the Islamic Republic. [2] At the Berlin restaurant Mykonos, four Kurdish-Iranian opposition members were shot dead in 1992. In 1997, a Berlin court found high-ranking Iranian government members responsible for the attack. [3]

[1] http://iraniansforum.com/eu/iranischer-spion-syed-mustufa-haider-in-haft-deutsches-parlament-empfangt-mullah-delegation/

[2] http://www.iranhrdc.org/no-safe-haven-irans-global-assassination-campaign/  

[3] http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/publications/reports/3150-murder-at-mykonos-anatomy-of-a-political-assassination.html?p=18#Judgement

STOP THE BOMB warns German companies of doing business in Iran

Berlin, December 29, 2016

With a letter to more than 500 German companies, the STOP THE BOMB campaign warns German companies of risks in dealing with the Iranian regime.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker explains: "Companies that do business with the Iranian regime support the Islamic dictatorship. Profits from these transactions can be used for the Iranian nuclear program, terrorist activities in neighboring countries, or the brutal war against the Syrian people. Trade with Iran can become a boomerang for German companies if existing and possibly new sanctions are enforced."

Terrorism-related sanctions are still in place against the Iranian regime, particularly in the US, which can affect foreign companies doing business with Iran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who are on the US terrorist list and on the EU sanctions list, dominate Iranian industries. This is often not transparent for representatives of foreign companies, as the guards also use front companies when doing business with European partners.

The campaign also criticizes the German Federal Government. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in particular supports trade with Iran. Federal Minister of Economics Sigmar Gabriel was the first high-ranking Western minister to travel to Iran after the nuclear deal with Iran was approved in the summer of 2015. Several ministers of economic affairs of the German Länder have traveled to Iran, accompanied by large business delegations, to enhance trade relations after the end of the sanctions. German exports to Iran increased by 24 percent in the first 10 months of 2016 compared to the previous year.

Becker continues: "German companies are leading in trade with a regime that threatens to destroy Israel. The high hopes for a more moderate future of the Iranian regime through more trade are misleading and shameful in the face of Iran’s war crimes against the Syrian people. In Iran, the number of executions is much higher under the allegedly moderate President Rohani than under his predecessor Ahmadinejad."

Aleppo – The Desaster of the Iran-Appeasement

Berlin, December 16, 2016

After more than four years of war, Aleppo has fallen to the coalition that protects the Syrian ruler Assad. While the Iranian regime is celebrating in Tehran, it is by no means certain that the inhabitants of the eastern part of the city will be granted free escort.

Ulrike Becker, spokesperson for the STOP THE BOMB campaign comments: "Half a million dead in Syria and the cruel fate of Aleppo are the logical consequence of Western appeasement policy. Russia's brutal bombing is only one part of this tragedy: Militias from the Shiite-Jihadist axis are the leading troops on the ground against the Syrian population, among them Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah and other Tehran-led militias from the entire Middle East."

The German Foreign Ministry continues with its diplomacy towards Tehran. Last year Steinmeier stated in Teheran that Germany and the Islamic Republic share "a common interest in ending the massacres in Syria and in the survival of the Syrian state“.

Becker continues: "To protect the nuclear deal with Iran was the central reason why the West gave the Iranian regime a free hand in Syria. German politicians have played a pioneering role here, since for a long time they have been spreading the story of the moderation of the Iranian regime. The Islamic Republic has sacrificed a whole country so that its axis of resistance against Israel will not be broken. Now the cosy relationship with Teheran must finally be finished and reversed."

STOP THE BOMB calls for vigorous diplomatic, political and economic pressure on the Iranian regime. As a first step the exposition of Iranian banned art, intended to take place in 2017 in Berlin, must be cancelled. Furthermore, the Federal Government needs to acknowledge publicly that there is no political basis for a visit of the Iranian President Rohani whatsoever.

Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel travels to Iran during Massacre in Aleppo

STOP THE BOMB demands cancellation of the trip of the German Vice Chancellor

Berlin, September 30, 2016

The campaign STOP THE BOMB calls on Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel to cancel the visit to Iran. Gabriel’s second Iran trip in only 14 months is scheduled for October 2-4.

While Moscow airplanes bomb the city of Aleppo, militias that are financed and trained by Iran attack on the ground. Among them are fighters of the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian Quds Brigades. While diplomatic pressure on Moscow is increasing, there is no such pressure on the Iranian regime, although the regime is responsible of the attacks on the Syrian population.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments: "Gabriel's visit with the aim of fostering the interests of some German Companies in Iran is cynical and irresponsible, given the cruel attacks against the Syrian civilians. The Vice Chancellor has announced that he wants to talk with Iranian representatives about the war in Syria. With these types of conversations, Gabriel cannot exert any influence on the Iranian regime, but undermines any possibility of the international community to stop the war against the Syrian civilians. His visit make Iranian representatives feel convinced that they can go on with their course of terror against the Syrian population."

Gabriel's Iran visit is taking place shortly after warnings of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution about Iranian attempts to purchase material for the construction of nuclear weapons and launchers in Germany. The Iranian threats against Israel do not stop. Recently, Iran made a rocket test using missiles marked with the message to wipe out Israel.

Collaboration with Terror

German authorities invited Iranian Intelligence Minister to Berlin

Berlin, 7 September 2016

Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi reportedly met his German counterparts this Tuesday in Berlin. [1] The reason for his visit is apparently the planned visit of Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani to Germany, which is expected to take place possibly as early as September. The campaign STOP THE BOMB condemns these visits in the strongest terms.

Kazem Moussavi, spokesperson for the German chapter of the Green Party of Iran in exile says: "The Iranian regime is planning to intensify the monitoring and cracking down on members of the opposition in Germany in order to prevent protests against the visit of Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s President of executions. It would be a huge scandal if German security authorities collaborated in these efforts. Alavi should be brought to justice rather than enjoying an official reception."

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments: "The coordination of German authorities with the terror apparatus of the Iranian regime is a slap in the face of all democrats and an open threat against Iranians living in Germany. It shows where the cooperation with Rouhani leads to. The planned visit of Rouhani to Germany has to be cancelled immediately. "

The Iranian regime and its intelligence service are responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of Iranian opposition members. In 1988 thousands of political prisoners were executed after a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini. A key organizer of this massacre was Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who is currently Iran’s Minister of Justice and who then served as deputy intelligence minister. [2] More than 160 Iranians were murdered by agents of the Iranian regime abroad. [3] In 1997, German judges ruled that the Iranian government was responsible for the murders of four Iranian opposition politicians in Berlin. [4]

[1] http://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/1395/06/16/1180121/iran-s-intelligence-minister-in-germany-for-talks  

[2] http://www.mena-watch.com/kronzeuge-gegen-die-islamische-republik/

[3] http://www.iranhrdc.org/files.php?force&file=reports_en/No_Safe_Haven_May08_527697578.pdf.

[4] http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/publications/reports/3150-murder-at-mykonos-anatomy-of-a-political-assassination.html?p=18#Judgement

STOP THE BOMB Condemns Reception of Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in Berlin after Islamist Murder of Homosexuals

Berlin, June 14, 2016

The campaign STOP THE BOMB condemns the meeting of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Zarif this Wednesday in Berlin.

The Islamist massacre with 50 dead at the popular gay and lesbian Pulse club in Orlando points to the dangers posed by Islamist propaganda. The Iranian regime plays a leading role here.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei recently declared in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani: “There is no worst form of moral degeneration than homosexuality.” [1]

In Iran, the legal code bases on Islamic Sharia law, and homosexuality is a crime punishable by imprisonment, corporal punishment, or by execution. [2]

Just a few weeks before the massacre in Orlando, Sheikh Farrokh Sekaleshfar who lives in Iran, declared in a mosque in Orlando, that the death penalty was the appropriate sentence for homosexuals. [3]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker declares: "The Islamist massacre in Orlando points to the very nature of Islamist ideology, in which hatred of homosexuals, antisemitism and misogyny play a central role. The Iranian regime is a leading global sponsor of deadly Islamist hostility against homosexuals; forcing homo- and transsexual people to flight, and executing gays by public hanging on cranes. "

Ulrike Becker continued: "An Islamist regime can never be a partner of a democratic society. We call on the Federal Government to stop courting representatives of the Islamic Republic and in particular to cancel the planned visit of Iran's President Rohani. "

1 http://irqr.ca/2016/?p=398  

2 http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/publications/reports/1000000398-denied-identity-human-rights-abuses-against-irans-lgbt-community.html#ftn4  

3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBlwxqqAprQ&feature=youtu.be, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3638438/Orlando-shooting-Controversial-anti-homosexual-sheikh-spoke-Florida-shooting.html   

Leading organizer of Iranian Holocaust Cartoon Contest is a Partner of the German Federal Government

Berlin, June 5, 2016

On May 31, the award ceremony of the Iranian Holocaust cartoon competition took place, awarding antisemitic cartoons, which deny the Holocaust.

Majid Mollanoroozi, Director of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and Visual Arts Director at the Iranian “Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance” gave out the awards to the winners.

Just recently, the German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier chose Mollanoroozi to be a partner of a cultural project of the German government, as “Iran Appeasement Monitor” reported. In October 2015, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and Mollanoroozi in the presence of Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The contract envisages that a collection of contemporary art will be displayed in Germany. [2]

Ulrike Becker, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB campaign, strongly criticizes the cooperation of the Foreign Office with Mollanoroozi: "The agreement with someone who gives out awards for antisemitic cartoons points to the failure of the cultural dialogue of the German government with the Iranian regime. The idea that there are moderate or non-antisemitic forces in the Iranian leadership is a sham.

Dr. Kazem Moussavi, editor of “Iran Appeasement Monitor” and spokesperson for the Green Party of Iran in Germany, declares: "The exhibition is supposed to show works of art, which are banned in Iran. The fact that the Federal Government is collaborating with the Iranian regime is particularly insidious, as long as artists like many other critical voices in Iran are censored, arrested and tortured on a daily basis. "

The cartoon competition was organized by the Islamic Organization for Propaganda and was shown as part of "Iran’s Cartoon Biennale", which is funded and organized by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

Claims by Foreign Minister Zarif that the organizers were an independent NGO and had nothing to do with the government, are demonstrably false. [2]

[1] https://www.preussischer-kulturbesitz.de/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/presse/pressemitteilungen/2015/151021_Iran_ENG.pdf

[2] Compare https://www.ushmm.org/information/press/press-releases/museum-demands-iranian-government-disavow-holocaust-cartoon-contest and https://www.ushmm.org/m/pdfs/PoliticalAnalysisEnglishFINAL.pdf

German Parliamentarians must condemn Iranian Holocaust-Cartoon Competition

Berlin, May 12, 2016

The campaign STOP THE BOMB has called upon all members of the German parliament in an open letter to condemn Iranian antisemitism, shortly before in Tehran a third Holocaust-Cartoon competition will take place on Saturday, May 14.

The campaign requests that the parliamentarians publicly condemn the competition in an open debate in the Bundestag. The competition became an instrument of Iranian policy under former president Ahmadinejad in 2006.

Ulrike Becker, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB explains: „The denial of the Shoah is no minor whim of the Iranian governance, but is used as a political weapon against Israel. This becomes obvious in the date that was chosen for the competition: the national day of Israel. The antisemitic competition is directed against Israel’s existence as such. It is absolutely important, that German Members of Parliament get active and explicitly and unambiguously condemn this form of antisemitism.“

Open letter: de.stopthebomb.net/en/caricatures.html

Broad alliance criticizes Iran trip of Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel

Berlin, 29th of April 2016

A broad alliance is protesting with an open letter against the Iran-trip of Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs Sigmar Gabriel (SPD). Among them are the campaign STOP THE BOMB, Young Socialists (the Youth organization of the SPD) Berlin and Lower Saxony, Jewish associations, the German-Israeli Societies of Hanover, Berlin, Bremen, Oldenburg, Leipzig and Stuttgart and the Green Party of Iran. Gabriel is travelling with a huge business delegation to Iran this coming Monday.

The organisations are asking the Vice Chancellor to cancel the trip. The letter states: “Doing business with the world champion of executions, with an antisemitic dictatorship that threatens Israel with annihilation means participating in their crimes.”

Sigmar Gabriel was the first Western minister who travelled to Teheran in July 2015, directly after the nuclear deal was signed. The actual trip has the aim to support business with Iran on a grand scale. For this aim, a conference has been organised, at which Sigmar Gabriel, several representatives of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment and the who is who of German export promotion are participating, as well as high ranking representatives of Siemens, a company that has been leading in trade with the inhuman regime in the past.

The signatories of the letter are pointing to the human rights violations, the support of terror organisations and the antisemitism of the Iranian regime. The Iranian government has just recently tested middle-range missiles with the inscription “Israel must be wiped out”. In June the third Holocaust-cartoon-contest will take place in Teheran; awarding antisemitic and Holocaust-denying caricatures.

The signatories criticize the German government’s hypocrisy. STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker explains: “Sigmar Gabriel’s statement, that partners of the German government must not question Israel’s right to exist is a phrase without consequences. The trip shows that the German government does everything to be the first in trade with Iran again. It is scandalous and irresponsible that the government follows short sighted business interests regarding a regime that threatens Israel with annihilation, that is responsible for the catastrophic war against the Syrian people and that the world’s champion in executions.”

STOP THE BOMB: "The Iranian regime, Assad and Russia are responsible for the refugee crisis, Mr Steinmeier"

STOP THE BOMB protests with a mobile billboard against the Iranian-German partnership on the occasion of the Munich Security Conference

Berlin, 12/2/2016

The conflict in Syria conflict and the refugee crisis are central themes at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), which takes place from 12 to 14 February. The European campaign STOP THE BOMB protests with a mobile billboard against the invitation of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif to the Munich Security Conference. With the banner: "Iran's terror regime cannot be a partner" and "Reason for the Refugee Crisis: Terror. No to Rohani!" the campaign points to Iran’s responsibility for the destruction of Syria and criticizes Foreign Minister Steinmeier’s announcement to invite President Rohani to Berlin.

STOP THE BOMB calls for a policy change towards Iran. Spokesman Michael Spaney criticizes: "The German government’s strategy, to see a partner in the Iranian regime who helps to solve regional conflicts, has failed. Contrary to the hopes of the West, the nuclear deal has not helped to moderate Iranian behavior. On the contrary, Iran, together with Russia, escalates the conflict in Syria. The result is the destruction of the country, the murder of countless people and increasing numbers of refugees in Europe. The refugee crisis cannot be solved without increasing pressure on Iran and Russia.

According to a study of the "Syrian Centre for Policy Research" 11,5 percent of the Syrian people have been killed or injured by the Russian-Iranian intervention in Syria and 45 percent of the population have been displaced. [1]

STOP THE BOMB also criticizes the invitation of president Rohani to Germany. Michael Spaney comments: "A radical Islamic regime cannot be a partner. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not only support Bashar al Assad's war against its own population, but is also the largest state sponsor of Islamist terror worldwide. In Iran, more people are executed under President Rohani than under Ahmadinejad. What is needed is not appeasement, but pressure on the Iranian regime."

[1] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/11/report-on-syria-conflict-finds-115-of-population-killed-or-injured

 

 

Trip to Iran: German foreign minister Steinmeier meets with Holocaust-deniers

STOP THE BOMB demands unequivocal public condemnation of the Iranian Holocaust denial and the antisemitic Holocaust cartoon competition by foreign minister Steinmeier

Berlin, 2 February, 2016

The European-wide campaign STOP THE BOMB calls on German foreign minister Steinmeier in an open letter to ostracize the Iranian Holocaust denial and the antisemitic Holocaust cartoon competition publicly, sharply, and unmistakably during his trip to Iran: „The denial of the Shoah is no minor whim of the Iranian governance. It is in fact an expression of the centrality of antisemitism for the Iranian regime. The leadership of the Islamic Republic has moved the Holocaust denial to the center of foreign affairs and uses it as a political weapon against the biggest Jewish community in the world: against Israel“, comments STOP BOMB speaker Ulrike Becker. On January 27, the memorial day of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, Steinmeier had declared: “One cannot draw a line under history.” Furthermore, he stressed that nobody in Europe can feel safe if „Jews, people of different faiths and dissenters“ do not feel safe in Europe. STOP BOMB speaker Ulrike Becker adds to this: „If the Federal Government accepts Islamic antisemitism or acts indifferently toward it, this retroacts on the European societies.“

The campaign calls upon Steinmeier, to draw a red line on the arming of Islamist terrorist organizations and to support democratic forces in Iran and the region. STOP THE BOMB argues that the Iranian regime has widened the confessional divide through the support of Islamist militias in Syria and Iraq, and thus is largely responsible for the rise of the Islamic State. Moreover, the Iranian support for Assad is preventing a peace process in Syria and leads to a further escalation of the refugee crisis. Regarding the domestic political situation in Iran, there is no evidence for an opening. Ulrike Becker comments: "The Iranian regime suppresses those who oppose the Islamist ideology and terrorizes homosexuals, women, dissidents and dissenters. More than thousand executions took place in 2015; Iran has the highest per capita rate of executions in the world."

Click here to read the open letter.

Iran sanctions lifted: billions for terror, oppression, Mideast wars and the nuclear program

STOP THE BOMB warns against risky Iran business – Companies face legal action for terror financing – Iranian regime intensifies arrest and execution waves

Vienna/Berlin, January 17, 2016

The European campaign STOP THE BOMB criticizes the suspension of sanctions against the Iranian regime. “The nuclear deal is an economic stimulus package that institutionalizes Iran’s nuclear program and when it expires, Iran will still have the components needed for a nuclear bomb. The Iranian regime and especially the Revolutionary Guards, who control the foreign trade and large sectors of the economy, now quickly get access to billions of Euros that they will spend for its sponsorship of terrorism, the war in Syria, the oppression of Iranian citizens and the nuclear program”, said STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker. “Apart from legal and economic risks, companies must also expect reputational losses. As it was already pointed out last summer by Ariel Muzicant, Vice-President of the European Jewish Congress, European companies, which finance Iran’s terror with trade, will face legal action.”

The character of the Iranian regime has not changed since Hassan Rouhani took office. Said Stephan Grigat, Research Director of STOP THE BOMB: “Amid Rouhani’s charm offensive the worst persecution wave since 2009 is currently taking place. His allegedly moderate regime set a sad execution record in 2015 with more than 1000 people killed. In its quest to export the revolution, Iran is waging wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Via terror proxies like Hezbollah it fuels the jihad against Israel, while senior regime officials continue to deny the Holocaust. Those doing business with the Iranian regime support its policy.”

Demonstration against the promotion of Iran deals by the German Government

The Iranian Regime is responsible for the refugee crisis

Berlin, 18/11/2015

The Iranian Regime is hosting a „Iran business forum“ with the Maleki Group at the Frankfurter Congress Center on the 18th and 19th of November. Cooperation partners at the event are the Federal State Government Hesse, and the event takes place under the patronage of Wolfgang Schäuble (Federal Minister of Finance). Several Iranian ministers are present.

Speakers include the Hessian Minister of Economic Affairs Tarek Al-Wazir and Uwe Becker, city treasurer of Frankfurt. The event is being promoted by public Hessian radio broadcasting.

Among the numerous Iranian guests are high-ranking government officials, like Ali Ashraf Afkhami, director of the Iranian "Bank of Industry and Mine", which is being sanctioned by Western states. Afkhami is a trusted ally of Ali Khamenei and coordinates the finances of the highest spiritual leader meaning the control over about 100 billion dollar of his criminal company empire. The money is being used among other things to finance the nuclear and missile program, the politics of suppression as well as Islamist terrorism worldwide.

Ulrike Becker, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB, states: „The Iranian regime keeps the Syrian president Assad in power. Only with the help of the Iranians can the Syrian terror regime commit these heinous crimes against their own population, forcing millions of people to flee. While the consternation and willingness to help is being pushed aside by rejection and closed borders in Europe, the German Government is working publicly on supporting the Iranian regime – the main arsonist in Syria. Politicians like the Minister of Economic Affairs Tarek Al-Wazir and the Hessian city treasurer Uwe Becker are directly responsible for the strengthening of the dictatorship, whose war the people in Syria are fleeing.”

Becker continues: „If the Federal Government intends to stop the refugee crisis, they need to start here: end the support for a regime that has set a new record in executions this year and that is responsible for the catastrophic situation in Syria.”

The campaign STOP THE BOMB, the Pro-Zionist Left and the Youth Forum of the German-Israeli Society and other groups appeal for a protest-rally. Wednesday, the 18th of November at 9:30am, Frankfurt, Ludwig Erhard Anlage. 

Rewarding Terror – STOP THE BOMB protests against Iran-trip of Foreign Minister Steinmeier

Berlin, October 14, 2015

The campaign STOP THE BOMB protests against the Iran trip of the German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Frank Walter Steinmeier, planned for the end of this week.

Spokesperson Ulrike Becker explains: "This journey is a fatal signal. The illusionary hopes that the Iranian regime would evolve in a more moderate direction over the course of an agreement have long since broken up. In Iran, the number of executions has increased dramatically under Rohani and is far higher than under Ahmadinejad. In Syria, an Iranian-Russian coalition is escalating the war with the aim of keeping Bashar al Assad in power. This will in turn worsen the refugee crisis in Germany and Europe."

STOP THE BOMB also points to recent Iranian threats of violence against the Frankfurt Book Fair, after the author Salman Rushdie was invited to be a speaker. Iranian Deputy Minister for Cultural Affairs Abbas Salehi has announced that the book fair could become “an overture to violence". The Islamic Republic boycotts this year's Book Fair because of Rushdie’s participation. It's 20 years since Iran's religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini pronounced a death sentence on Salman Rushdie for 'insulting' Islam with his novel „The Satanic Verses“.

Becker continues: "The statements of the Iranian Minister against Salman Rushdie make clear that Khomeini's fatwa against the author is still valid. The threats must be understood as an appeal to Muslims around the world to carry out the murder plot. With his trip, Steinmeier rewards the Iranian terror policy. Every gesture of appeasement leads to an intensification of Iran’s domestic and foreign terror policy. Therefore, the trip must be canceled. What is needed is political and economic pressure on the regime."

The Iran Deal and the Syrian refugee crisis

German Policy co-responsible for destabilizing the region

Berlin, September 18, 2015

The coalition STOP THE BOMB criticizes the German Iran policy to be co-responsible for the Syrian refugee crisis and the instability of the region. The number of Syrian refugees has risen dramatically since the beginning of this year. Despite a ubiquitous media coverage of the refugee problem, the causes for the flight are largely ignored by politicians and media in Germany.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments: "The regime in Tehran is the main supporter of Syrian President Bashar al Assad and his murderous policy against the majority of the population and is thus responsible for the Syrian refugee disaster. The enactment of the nuclear agreement with Iran will further deteriorate the situation in Syria. With billions of dollars that will be unfrozen, the regime will expand its intervention in Syria and in other countries in the region, which will lead to more terror and expulsion. The hope that the religious dictatorship will change its behavior with the nuclear deal is wishful thinking. This hope is as insubstantial as is the plan to fight the Islamic state with the help of the Islamic Republic. The offer to cooperate with the West has rather encouraged the Iranian regime to further threats and expansionism."

On September 17, the official deadline for the US Congress to pass a resolution of approval or disapproval about the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program has passed. After the approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency there will be no more obstacles to the lifting of sanctions against the Iranian regime.

Since the Iran nuclear deal was announced in mid-July, Iranian religious leader Khamenei has repeatedly issued threats to the United States [1] and announced the destruction of Israel. [2] Executions in Iran continue at a new high. [3] At the same time, more and more reports emerge about a massive expansion of Russian and Iranian intervention in Syria. [4]

Ulrike Becker: "The Federal Government was a key player in the nuclear deal with Iran. The German government is also in the front row when it comes to supporting and initiating lucrative deals for German companies with the Iranian regime. The consequences of this policy do no longer only affect the region but reach Germany with the refugee crisis. There has to be a complete realignment of Middle East policy in order to stop the refugee catastrophe and to stabilize the region. The Federal government must take immediate action to stop Tehran's destructive hegemonic drive in the region and to prevent that unfrozen funds end up in the hands of Assad and of Shiite terrorist groups in Syria and elsewhere."

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjmDV8kagV8
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/world/middleeast/iran-ayatollah-khamenei-israel-will-not-exist.html?_r=0
[3] http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/249813-iran-continues-policy-of-death-after-nuclear-deal
[4] http://www.thenation.com/article/are-iran-and-russia-risking-their-own-vietnam-in-syria/

Protest against Iran trip of German Vice Chancellor Gabriel

The campaign STOP THE BOMB protests against the nuclear deal with Iran and calls for the cancellation of Sigmar Gabriel’s trip to Iran

Berlin, July 16, 2015

German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has announced a trip to Iran starting this Sunday. He will be accompanied by a high-ranking delegation of German entrepreneurs. The campaign STOP THE BOMB calls for the cancellation of this trip.

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker explains: "70 years after the end of the Shoah, German companies and the Federal Government are in the front row organizing business deals with the anti-Semitic Iranian regime. Representatives of the regime have repeatedly threatened Israel with destruction, even during the negotiations - most recently during the anti-Semitic Quds march. The journey of Sigmar Gabriel and German business representatives must therefore be canceled."

Stephan Grigat, research director of STOP THE BOMB: "Billions of Euros will flow to the regime in Tehran as a result of the nuclear deal. Iran’s support for terrorism, for groups such as Hezbollah or Hamas will get new proportions as well as Iran’s expansion in the Arab world. The terror against the Iranian population is not declining, on the contrary: Under the supposedly ‘moderate’ president Hassan Rohani significantly more people have been executed than under his predecessor Ahmadinejad ".

Protest rally: Friday, 17/07/2015, 5.00 p.m.
Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy
Scharnhorststr. / Corner Invalidenstraße, 10115 Berlin

Nuclear Deal: The Path to the Iranian Bomb. STOP THE BOMB criticizes agreement with Tehran.

Removal of sanctions channels billions to Islamist Terror.

Vienna/Berlin, July 14, 2015

The European coalition STOP THE BOMB sharply criticizes the announced agreement of the UN Security Council members and Germany with the Iranian regime. Michael Spaney, the spokesperson for STOP THE BOMB in Europe, declares: „With what is known until now, this agreement leaves nearly the whole nuclear infrastructure of the nuclear and missiles programs intact. It does not prevent the Iranian bomb, but rather institutionalizes its necessary components. A nuclear arms race with the Arab states has already started. The aggressive regional expansion of the Iranian regime has been ignored in the talks just as the annihilation threats against Israel which have been repeated several times amid the negotiations."

STOP THE BOMB regards the planned removal of sanctions as especially disturbing. Stephan Grigat, STOP THE BOMB’s Research Director, explains: „Reinstating sanctions in case of Iranian violations of the agreement will prove unworkable. It took 10 years to establish the anyway insufficient sanctions architecture, which was met by harsh resistance. The Iranian regime exactly knows that there will not be a rapid reinstatement once the sanctions are removed. Billions of dollars currently blocked will soon be unfrozen as a result of this deal and at the anti-Semitic regime’s disposal. This will enable the regime to sponsor its terror proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah in unprecedented ways. The terror against the Iranian population will not decrease, but increase. Already now more people have been executed under allegedly ‚moderate‘ President Rouhani than under his predecessor Ahmadinejad.“

European NGO STOP THE BOMB criticizes Iran High Tech Conference in Berlin

Press Release, June 4, 2015

On June 4 - 6, 2015 the conference "iBridges" takes place in Berlin’s “CityCube” center. "iBridges" aims to bring together investors and Iranian start-ups. It is one of the largest events for promoting business with Iran, and Iranian exiles protested against the event. (1) When sanctions against the Iranian regime will soon be lifted, investments in the country’s high-tech sector will help Iran's oil-centered economy to diversify. A senior Iranian official said that the Berlin conference was "particularly significant" for his country "because of the sharp decline in our oil revenues, which may continue falling in the coming years". (2)

The invitation of Sabri Saidam, an advisor to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, shows the anti-Zionist orientation of the conference. Four years ago in 2011, Saidam gave a eulogy for Dalal al-Mughrabi, a Palestinian terrorist who was involved in a bus hijacking in 1978, in which thirty-five Israelis were killed. Saidam spoke of Mughrabi as a "martyr of the national movement". (3)

This event is not the only of its kind. German companies and the Federal Government are promoting business with Iran rather at full speed. Recently German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel met the Iranian oil minister also in Berlin. (4)

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney strongly criticizes the Federal Government: "With the end of the nuclear negotiations in sight, the Iranian regime still does not move one millimeter.     At the same time one promotion event after the other is taking place in Germany to initiate business deals with Iran. Germany is once again at the forefront when it comes to trade with the anti-Semitic dictatorship and in this way undermines any possibility of exercising effective pressure on the Iranian regime."

(1) ibridges.org, www.iraniansforum.com/eu/ibridge-propaganda-konferenz-der-iranlobby-in-berlin-verhindern/
(2) www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/31/amazon-iranian-style-digikala-other-startups-aparat-hamijoo-takhfifan
(3) www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Palestinians-honor-leader-of-1978-terror-attack
(4) de.stopthebomb.net/en/press/press-releases.html, de.stopthebomb.net/en/germany-iran/economic-promotion.html

German Federal Government is promoting business with Iran - in spite of existing sanctions

Press Release, May 7, 2015
Updated version May 8, 2015

German companies and the Federal Government are promoting business with Iran at full speed. In Berlin, German Vice Chancellor and Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel will meet Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh today. The oil minister will also speak at the “Energy Security Summit”, which takes place today in Berlin and is organized by the Munich Security Conference under the auspices of Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier. Zanganeh will also meet representatives from the companies Siemens, Linde and Lurgi in Munich, according to Iranian media reports. [1]

Another conference dealing with the reentry into the Iranian market has the support of the Federal Ministry of Economics. The conferenced is organized by the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry and will take place on May 19 in Berlin. Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel will open the conference with a welcoming speech. [2]

The Near and Middle East Association Numov invites to a conference on the same day, entitled "Doing Business in Iran". Numov invites the director of the Iranian Bank of Industry and Mines, which is on EU and US sanctions lists. [3]

In Iran, the German Engineering Association VDMA is represented with a booth at the ongoing Iran Oil trade show. [4] The technology fair INOTEX will take place in early June with the support of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce. [5]

Numerous chambers of commerce train companies throughout Germany in strategies for the "re-entry" into business in Iran, in spite of recent multi-billion dollar fines against Commerzbank and PayPal for violations and ongoing investigations against companies like Deutsche Bank. [6]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments: "German companies and their lobby organizations are undermining the pressure on the Iranian regime with the support of the Federal Government. This makes a bad deal with Iran very likely. Without pressure a nuclear Iran will be unstoppable - the nuclear bomb of an anti-Semitic regime that is the most important supporter of international Islamist terrorism, which suppresses its own people massively, denies the Holocaust, threatens Israel with destruction and executes homosexuals. The irresponsible conduct of German companies also shows how unrealistic it is to reintroduce sanctions when they are once canceled in a bad agreement."

[1] See Munich Security Conference, Mehrnews, Iranians Forum.
[2] See http://www.dihk.de/themenfelder/international/news?m=2015-04-08-konferenz-weltwirtschaftConference Announcement
[3] See conference announcement, Iranians forum
[4] See VDMA website
[5] See INOTEX brochure, page. 7
[6] See an overview of the campaign STOP THE BOMB

Success for Iran's tactics

STOP THE BOMB criticizes agreement with Tehran

Press Release April 3, 2015

The coalition STOP THE BOMB criticizes the declaration on the nuclear negotiations in Lausanne and interprets it to be a success of the delaying and deception tactics of the Iranian regime. The list of "key parameters", which was released yesterday, is a non-binding declaration of intent. In this way, another deadline has passed without reaching a binding agreement signed by Tehran.

The "key paramenters" allow the Iranian regime to maintain its nuclear infrastructure. The plutonium reactor in Arak shall only be modified but not be closed. This legitimizes and institutionalizes Iran's mastery of this technology. Parchin, the site for testing nuclear detonations, is not mentioned, nor is the missile program.

Michael Spaney, spokesperson for STOP THE BOMB Europe, comments: "The framework announced yesterday does not aim for dismantling the Iranian nuclear or missile programs. To the contrary, its main effect is to lift the international sanctions that were put in place with so much difficulty. Any agreement that does not prevent but legitimizes a nuclear Iran would be a disaster for the region. Arab states have already started a nuclear race. It is particularly dangerous that the agreement ignores Iran’s foreign policy of terror. The Iranian regime and its allies are at war in Syria, in Iraq and in Yemen. The Revolutionary Guards are openly announcing to target Jordan. The threats to destroy Israel were repeated during the negotiations. The democratic and secular opposition in Iran and in exile is thrown under the bus again.”

Iran is no vacation country for democrats!

Terror threats against Iranian exiles

Iranian regime newspaper calls for „suppression and annihilation“ of the opposition abroad

Press Release, February 6, 2015

Prior to further negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the Iranian newspaper „Kayhan“ threatens to murder Iranian exiles. The mouthpiece of the Supreme Leader Khamenei writes:

„Those political currents and media that disseminate rumors should be suppressed and annihilated. They are corrupters of the earth and spilling their blood is permitted. ... They should be harshly, severely and humiliatingly punished and killed. … Carrying out the sentence of God on the seditionists who fight the truth is not restricted to any time, place or border ... They should have no safe haven.“ (1)

According to the „Iran Human Rights Documentation Center“ at least 162 killings of exiled opposition members in 19 countries can be attributed to the Iranian leadership since 1979. (2)

In Germany the attacks against exile Iranians ended only after the Mykonos trial in Berlin. In 1997, the Iranian and Lebanese murderers of four Kurdish-Iranian oppositionists were sentenced. Against massive pressure from the German government, the judges ruled that the Iranian government was responsible for the murders. (3) Only recently, Uruguay has expelled an Iranian diplomat on suspicion of being involved in preparing acts of terrorism. (4)

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "The dialogue policy towards Iran is a problem for domestic security. Attacks against exile Iranians in the past were not contained by appeasement, but only by drawing clear red lines. The federal government is responsible for the protection of all people in Germany against Islamist terrorism. STOP THE BOMB demands as a first step the closure of the “Islamic Centre Hamburg” as one of the most important centers of the Iranian regime in Germany."

(1) Compare: ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/terrorism-fundamentalism/17896-iran-calls-for-execution-of-opponents-at-home-and-abroad, Original text: kayhan.ir/fa/news/36341/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AC%DB%8C%D9%81-%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A2%D9%86

(2) www.iranhrdc.org/english/publications/reports/3152-no-safe-haven-iran-s-global-assassination-campaign.html

(3) www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-8693927.html, www.iranhrdc.org/english/publications/reports/3150-murder-at-mykonos-anatomy-of-a-political-assassination.html

(4) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.641101

German parliament’s Vice President meets terrorists and Holocaust deniers in Iran

STOP THE BOMB condemns Iran trip of Claudia Roth and a delegation of German MPs

Press Release STOP THE BOMB January 20, 2015

The STOP THE BOMB coalition condemns the planned trip of the Bundestag's Vice President Claudia Roth (Green Party), Dagmar Wöhrl (Conservatives) and Stefan Rebmann (Social Democrats) to Iran and calls for its immediate cancellation. (1) According to her official website, Claudia Roth intends to stay from 21st to 26th January and will meet, among others, Ali Larijani, the president of the Majlis, Iran’s pseudo-parliament, and Massoumeh Ebtekar, the Vice-President of the Islamic Republic. Subjects of the talks will be, according to Claudia Roth, the "current opening up efforts of Iranian politics", the "humanitarian disaster in the region" and the ecological situation around Iran's Lake Urmia. (2)

In 1979 the current Vice President of Iran, Massoumeh Ebtekar, was one of the kidnappers in the US embassy in Tehran. Back then she declared to be ready to shoot the hostages. (3) The president  of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Larijani advocated Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial at the Munich Security Conference in 2009. (4)

Roth, Wöhrl and Rebmann are members of the Parliamentary Committee for Economic Cooperation and Development. (5)

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "In the face of the current wave of executions in Iran speaking about 'opening up efforts of Iranian politics' is bold. It is a scandal that two weeks after Islamist attacks in Paris, a high-ranking delegation of German MPs is having meetings with terrorists and Holocaust deniers in Iran. The meetings grant false reputation to a parliament, whose members are handpicked by Iran’s Islamist theocracy. Moreover, it seems that after former minister Peter Ramsauer's (Conservatives) "Iran Roundtable" with leading German companies last week at the German Bundestag, (6) the MP's trip to Iran serves as a further promotion for German-Iranian business and is another effort to weaken sanctions against the Iranian regime.“  

(1) www.europeonline-magazine.eu/bundestags-vize-roth-wirft-saudi-arabien-reise-blockade-vor_372197.html
(2) claudia-roth.de/pressemitteilung/hinweis-claudia-roth-reist-in-den-iran/
(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB3HjAysN7Y&feature=player_detailpage#t=685
(4) http://www.welt.de/politik/article3161691/Iranischer-Politiker-verteidigt-Holocaust-Leugner.html
(5) www.bundestag.de/bundestag/ausschuesse18/a19/mitglieder/260702
(6) http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/presse/presseaussendungen.html

Terror in Europe: STOP THE BOMB calls for the suspension of the State Treaty with the Islamic Centre Hamburg

Press Release, January 19, 2015

The coalition STOP THE BOMB warns the public against the activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Hamburg.

While the world is shocked by the massacre in Paris, the weekly newspaper of the Iranian paramilitary organization Ansar-e Hezbollah praises the murders of Paris as "blessed" and "legitimate" punishment for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. (1) The Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif condemned the cartoons of the magazine Charlie Hebdo as insulting. (2)

The Iranian regime is also active in Germany. The most important means to disseminate its influence is the "Islamic Centre Hamburg" (IZH), which is controlled directly from Tehran according to the German intelligence service. Its head Ayatollah Reza Ramezani is a "supporter of the Iranian state doctrine" and enjoys the full confidence of the Iranian spiritual leader Ali Khamenei. (3)

Despite its Islamist-Jihadist orientation, the IZH is integrated into German society.The Hamburg State Treaty with Islamic associations made the IZH a partner of the city of Hamburg. (4)

The IZH is circulating the Islamist, anti-Western and anti-Semitic propaganda of the Iranian regime in Germany. One example is a speech of Ali Khamenei from December 2014 that is published on the website of the IZH which says: "From the beginning, the Islamic Republic government … [has been] showing enmity towards the Zionist regime. This policy has continued until today. … We helped Hezbollah in Lebanon - which is a Shia group - in the same way that we helped Hamas and Islamic Jihad and we will continue to do that ... I announced- and this will definitely happen- that the West Bank should be armed like Gaza“.(5)  

A propaganda clip from 2012 for the IZH-conference "Islamic awakening" calls for the spread of Islamism in the "heart of Europe". (6)

Among the guests of the most recent IZH-conference (7) in January 2015 was Mustafa Yoldas, former head of the Islamist organization IHH, which was banned in 2010. (8) Also present were Aiman Mazyek, the chairman of the Central Council of Muslims and Katajun Amirpur, a scholar of Islamic studies from the University of Hamburg. (9)

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker warns: "An outpost of the Islamic Republic must not be a partner of the Hamburg Senate or the University of Hamburg. The fact that the terror propaganda of the Iranian regime is disseminated in Germany points to the fatal consequences of a foreign policy of appeasement and a failed integration policy that favors Islamists instead of supporting the democrat among Muslims. We call on government agencies and universities to stop all cooperation with the IZH, which represents a domestic security risk. The treaty with the IZH must be canceled immediately. The Iranian regime is the largest sponsor of terrorism worldwide. Khamenei's cadre factory in Hamburg is a threat to all Democrats and should be closed as soon as possible."

(1) www.rferl.org/content/iran-charlie-hebdo-killings-blessed/26796066.html
(2) http://news.yahoo.com/iran-condemns-insulting-charlie-hebdo-prophet-cover-102514320.html
(3) www.hamburg.de/contentblob/2235784/data/verfassungsschutzbericht-2009-nur-text-fassung.pdf, pages 59-63
(4) http://www.welt.de/regionales/hamburg/article109372437/Scharfmacher-rufen-zu-antijuedischem-Protest-auf.html
(5) The speech is no longer on the webpage of the IZH, but a screenshot can be found here.
(6)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZvVzDefUyk4#t=230; http://www.shia-forum.de/index.php?/topic/54974-internationale-konferenz-islamisches-erwachen-im-izh/
(7) http://www.schurahamburg.de/index.php/2-uncategorised/132-einladung-zur-konferenz (8) http://www.taz.de/!55746/
(9) http://www.awr.uni-hamburg.de/ueber-awr/aktuelles/akuelle-meldungen/stellungnahme-katajun-amirpur-anschlaege-paris.html 

Business lobby in the German Parliament undermines Iran sanctions

STOP THE BOMB demands cancellation of "Iran Roundtable"

Press release, January 9th, 2015
last update January 9th, 3.p.m.

The coalition STOP THE BOMB calls on Norbert Lammert (CDU), president of the German Parliament, to cancel a high-ranking Iran business lobby meeting in the German Bundestag, organized by the The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK). [1]

According to information from the oppositional Green Party of Iran an “Iran Roundtable” is scheduled for January 14th at the German Parliament with Peter Ramsauer, Member of the Bundestag (CSU) and Volker Perthes, director of the think tank "Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik", (to be confirmed), as well as numerous business leaders. It is not known which representatives of the Iranian regime will be taking part in the meeting.

On the agenda of the not publicly announced meeting will be the "prospects for the time after the easing” of Western Iran sanctions.

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "The Bundestag must not become a hangout for the Iran lobby. It is a scandal that the German Parliament is hosting a completely intransparent meeting of the Iran lobby, that is concealed from the public. We call upon Norbert Lammert to cancel the meeting. The planned meeting with ex-minister for transportation Ramsauer weakens the Western position in the nuclear negotiations. The meeting also undermines Western pressure on the Iranian regime, strengthens its extremism and is a stab in the back of regime opponents."

The event comes at a time of a dramatic increase in executions in Iran under Rouhani’s presidency [2] and threats of annihilation against Israel and the US from regime officials. [3]

[1] Agenda of the Iran Roundtable, Invitation of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce

[2] Human Rights in Iran Worsen, U.N. Investigator Says, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/world/middleeast/human-rights-in-iran-have-worsened-un-investigator-says.html?_r=1; 13 Prisoners Including 4 Women Executed in One Day in Iran, https://hra-news.org/en/13-prisoners-including-4-women-executed-one-day-iran   

[3] Iran General: Our Ultimate Goal Is the Destruction of America And Israel, http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/05/iran-general-our-ultimate-goal-is-the-destruction-of-america-and-israel/, Khamenei’s plan for the destruction of Israel: http://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/531366667377717248/photo/1    

Niels Annen cosying up to terror

SPD foreign policy speaker met Iranian terrorist mastermind Velayati

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, December 16, 2014

The coalition STOP THE BOMB condemns the meeting of the foreign policy speaker of the German Social Democratic parliamentary group Niels Annen with the Iranian state terrorist Ali Akbar Velayati in Iran. According to Iranian press reports, Annen and Velayati on Sunday talked about cooperation in the fight against terrorism and "common concerns" regarding ISIS, Syria and Iraq. [1]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: "Velayati is a mastermind of the Mykonos assassination plot against Kurdish-Iranian opposition members in Berlin in 1992 and of the anti-Semitic mass murder in Buenos Aires in 1994. This dialogue on counter-terrorism with a string puller of global Islamist terrorism since 1979 is nothing but dangerous. Collaboration with the Iranian regime does not lead to less, but to more terror in the region. Iran as a state sponsor of global terror cannot be a partner in the fight against terrorism."[2]

Velayati was named responsible for the Mykonos assassinations in his capacity as Iranian Foreign Minister by a Berlin court in 1997. At the Mykonos restaurant in Berlin, four Kurdish Iranian opposition activists had been murdered in 1992. [3] In 2013, Argentinian prosecutor Nisman demanded an arrest warrant against Velayati for involvement in the planning of the attack on the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires AMIA (85 killed). Velayati was a member of the Special Committee for terrorist attacks. [4]

Only in October Velayati received a religious leader of the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi Islamists, whose slogan is: "Death to America, death to Israel, a curse on the Jews and victory to Islam". [5] On this occasion Velayati declared that the Islamic Republic of Iran supported the rebels as "part of the Islamic awakening" to fight Israel and Western enemies. [6]

Spaney continues: "With his meeting with Velayati, Annen betrays the democratic Iranian opposition and all moderate forces in the Middle East. The Iranian regime is no firefighter, but the main arsonist in the Middle East."

[1] http://en.mehrnews.com/detail/News/105082
[2] http://www.mideastfreedomforum.org/index.php?id=407#c2513
[3] http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-8693927.html
[4] http://www.peaceandtolerance.org/docs/nismanindict.pdf
[5] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/shiite-rebels-are-yemens-new-masters/2014/10/05/fce4fbca-4c07-11e4-b72e-d60a9229cc10_story.html, www.daserste.de/information/politik-weltgeschehen/weltspiegel/sendung/ndr/2014/jemen-102.html
[6] http://www.rasanews.ir/en/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=1471

Negotiations with Iran failed

STOP THE BOMB calls for new sanctions

Press Release, Nov. 25, 2014

Last night the deadline for an agreement between Iran and the P5+1 in the nuclear negotiations in Vienna has passed without results.

The nuclear negotiations began in 2003 and originally had the goal of dissuading Iran from the military dimension of its nuclear program. This goal has been deemed to be unrealistic in November 2013. Since the Geneva Interim deal negotiations only aim at extending the "breakout" time, which Iran would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon, should it decide to do so.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: "The strategy to reach a comprehensive deal with Iran has failed. Concessions and the gain of time have made the Iranian regime a nuclear threshold power. Western states must now take appropriate action: Only sanctions brought the Iranian regime to the negotiating table in 2010. We need new economic and diplomatic sanctions against the Islamic Republic in order to avert the danger of an Islamist bomb."

In November 2013, the P5+1 powers had made substantial concessions to reach a negotiated deal. 4.2 billion USD were released from frozen assets. Sanctions in the petrochemical, automotive and precious metals sectors were scaled back.

Spaney states: "The fatal mistake is not to judge the Iranian regime for what it does, but for what you want it to do. Since Rohani’s inauguration there is no sign of a more moderate policy, on the contrary: The number of executions has increased dramatically. On November 9, supreme leader Khamenei has published another plan to destroy Israel. Iranian media openly praise missile shipments to Hamas and Hezbollah. The regime has intensified its intervention in Syria, and its allies marched into the capital of Yemen."

STOP THE BOMB founding member Fathiyeh Naghibzadeh analyses the regional consequences: "The appeasement towards the arsonists in Tehran has strengthened the hardliners and caused a terrible inferno in Syria and Iraq. The Iranian and Syrian opposition, moderate Muslims, the minorities in the region and Israel are the main victims of this policy. The West must decide where it stands: on the side of the Iranian Islamists and their allies, or on the side of democratic and moderate forces in the Middle East. Taking both sides is impossible."

A nuclear Iran as Germany's partner?

Iranian trade delegation on shopping tour in Germany

Press release, Nov. 24, 2014

While the nuclear negotiations with the Iranian regime are in a critical phase, a high-ranking Iranian trade delegation is touring Germany since Sunday at the invitation of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce. The delegation aims at doing business in the oil, gas and finance sectors, which are still under sanctions. [1]

German companies are leading in trade with Iran compared to other Western countries. After a slight decline in 2013, German exports to Iran have increased by 36 percent since January 2014. [2]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: "The increasing trade and the withdrawal of sanctions in the wake of the Geneva Joint Plan of Action in November 2013 weakened the Western position. Deals of German companies undermine pressure on the Iranian regime and make it less likely that the regime has to make concessions in the nuclear issue. The Iranian regime sees Germany as the vanguard to circumvent existing sanctions and to split the international coalition against the Iranian bomb. "

In September, Ali Majedi, former Iranian deputy oil minister, was appointed Ambassador to Germany. Majedi sees Germany as a major political power in the EU, and stressed that Iran had better relations with Germany than with other countries. [3]

Recently, new reports about illegal procurement activities in Germany for the Iranian nuclear program have been released. [4]

Spaney comments: "STOP THE BOMB warns of a policy of appeasement towards Tehran. If the negotiating partners are playing for time, or a bad deal with the Iranian regime is accepted, Iran will soon be a nuclear power. It is not acceptable that Germany still has a top position in trading with Iran. The federal government must make it clear that existing sanctions are still valid and will be exacerbated if the negotiation deadline passes without results. "

The German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce has been on the frontline for an end of sanctions against the Iranian regime. In October, the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce was one of the main organizers of a "1st Europe-Iran Forum", which aimed at a major expansion of European trade with the Iranian regime, despite the fact that an agreement of the nuclear problem has not been accomplished. [5]

[1] http://www.dihkev.de/de/news/5530-Iranische-Wirtschaftsdelegation-in-Deutschland
[2] Source: Eurostat
[3] http://energlobe.de/wirtschaft/ali-majedi-ueber-gasexporte-nach-europa
[4]http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/verstoss-gegen-sanktionen-iran-auf-atomarer-einkaufstour-in-deutschland/10985774.html
[5] http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/press/press-releases.html#c2931

Iran Investment Conference in London is Premature and Harms Prospects for Peace

STOP THE BOMB / Henry Jackson Society
Berlin / London, October 9, 2014

The European-wide campaign STOP THE BOMB and the transatlantic think tank The Henry Jackson Society have jointly denounced the "1st Europe-Iran Forum" in London, which aims to comprehensively expand European trade with Iran. The conference will take place in London on 15-16 October and is supported by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

The conference brings together Iranian lobbyists, European companies and free-market proponents from the media and the political spheres.  In doing so the congress threatens the international efforts to stop the Iranian nuclear weapons programme.

Davis Lewin, Deputy Director at The Henry Jackson Society commented: "Negotiations with Iran are at a critical stage, and the signs are not encouraging - Iran has been unyielding over several key aspects of it's nuclear programme, including some of the most troubling aspects such as access to the sites suspected of being used for weaponisation tests.  Europe's scramble to do business with this regime is thus not only premature, but rather events such as these hinder progress to a peaceful resolution because they decrease the price Iran has to pay for its dangerous actions.  It is disappointing to see this event take place in London, when the British government is a leader in Europe in working to stem the threat from Tehran's illegal nuclear programme".

The event takes place against the backdrop of faltering nuclear negotiations with Iran. Alongside the British Economist Group, the event will be hosted by the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce, which has long been committed to lobbying for an unconditional end of sanctions against the Iranian regime. The London event comes as Tehran – just a few days ago – hosted an anti-Semitic conference with international Holocaust deniers.

STOP THE BOMB’s European spokesman Michael Spaney asserted: "President Rouhani is not a reformer – the number of executions in Iran have continued to increase during his presidency. Nor is the Iranian regime a stabilising partner in the Middle East – it bears major responsibility for years of destabilisation in Iraq and the consequential spread of Islamic State terror. The actions of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah terrorists against the Syrian population are just as brutal as those committed by Islamic State. This congress is a reward for Iran’s terrorism."

The STOP THE BOMB campaign and the Henry Jackson Society are supporting a protest on the morning of 15 October, which will take place in front of the London Marriot Hotel in Grosvenor Square, where the "1st Europe-Iran Forum" is to be hosted.

Senior German MPs shoulder to shoulder with Iranian terror

STOP THE BOMB campaign criticizes fireside chat with the Iranian ambassador and invitations of the German Foreign Ministry

Press Release, May 30, 2014

On Wednesday, June 4, 2014 senior members of the Bundestag, the German Parliament, invite the Iranian Ambassador Alireza Sheikh Attar to a fireside chat in the "Parlamentarische Gesellschaft" opposite the German Parliament building in Berlin on behalf of the foundation "Stiftung für Grundwerte und Völkerverständigung“ (“Foundation for Basic Values ​​and International Understanding”). Secretary of Labor Andrea Nahles (Social Democrats) and party whip Volker Kauder (Conservative Party, CDU) and 19 others are among the inviting Members of Parliament.

According to information provided by dissidents, the announced “guest of honor”, Iranian Ambassador Sheikh Attar, was involved personally in massacres in Kurdistan-Iran.

The German Foreign Office is supporting the event with a greeting of the Head of the Middle East Department Markus Potzel.

The invitation text defines the purpose of deepening German-Iranian relations on the basis of an alleged "agreement" in the conflict over Iran's "nuclear energy program".

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Ulrike Becker comments: "The inviting MPs and the Foreign Office suggest that there is no threat of an Iranian nuclear weapons program any more. This is a deliberate deception of the public and the German Parliament. We also criticize that the Foreign Office has repeatedly participated in the invitation of the Iranian ambassador. German diplomacy is apparently working feverishly on the intensification of German-Iranian relations. While executions under Rohani have increased dramatically, the terror of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Syria continues and the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program are stuck, the German Foreign Office and the MP’s are eager to prepare new business deals and the normalization of relations. "

In an open letter to the inviting MP’s, STOP THE BOMB calls for the cancellation of the event. The letter states: "With such a meeting, you, the democratically elected representatives, repeatedly offer a propaganda platform to the officials of the Iranian dictatorship for their repressive policies, the justification for the persecution of dissidents and minorities and their anti-Semitism."

German Foreign Office beats the drum for expansion of Iran business

Head of Middle East Division at the "Iran Business Forum" in Frankfurt am Main

Press Release, May 15, 2014

The campaign STOP THE BOMB calls on the Federal Government to cancel the participation of Markus Potzel, Head of Middle East Division of the Federal Foreign Office at the "Business Forum Iran." The meeting is scheduled for May 23, 2014 in Frankfurt am Main. The "Maleki Group" which is the organizer, encourages German companies in their invitation explicitly to invest in Iran now, while negotiations about the nuclear conflict are still going on. The event is co-organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Frankfurt.

The Foreign Office legitimizes the aims of the event with the participation of Markus Potzel, a senior representative of the Foreign Office, with the blessing of the federal government. Omid Nouripour, the Green party's foreign policy spokesperson, already cancelled his participation after protests.
 
Ali Ashraf Afkhami is announced to be another speaker.* Afkhami is the chairman of Tehran's Bank of Industry and Mine, which is on the sanctions list of the European Union. Afkhami is also the manager of the financial empire of revolutionary leader Khamenei, which is acquired through expropriation of regime opponents and used for terrorist purposes.

Among the speakers is also the Iranian ambassador in Germany, Ali Reza Sheikh Attar. Attar is accused to be responsible for massacres in the Kurdish areas during his tenure as governor of the Iranian province of Kurdistan. He is also accused to be responsible for the procurement of illegal activities for the Iranian nuclear program in Germany. 
Ulrike Becker, spokeswoman for the campaign STOP THE BOMB comments: "It is scandalous that a senior official of the Foreign Office takes part in a promotional event for doing business with Iran. This accommodates to the attempts of Rouhani to split the Western opponents of the Iranian nuclear program. The Iranian regime will interpret the participation of Markus Potzel rightly as support of the Federal Government and harden its position in the nuclear issue even more. Whoever trades with this regime, finances the Iranian nuclear program and the suppression of the Iranian people by Holocaust deniers who threaten Israel with annihilation."


*The "Maleki Group" has stated in the meantime that Ali Ashraf Afkhami will not participate in the event.

German Trade Association NUMOV is courting the Iranian regime

STOP THE BOMB campaign protests against German-Iranian Business Conference in Berlin

Press release, April 7, 2014

On Tuesday, April 8, the five members of the Security Council and Germany will negotiate in Vienna about the Iranian nuclear program. At the same time in Berlin, NUMOV, the biggest German business lobby organization for the Middle will hold a "German - Iranian Business Conference". Six high officials of the Islamic Republic will speak at the event, according to the program, including Industry Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh and Akbar Turkan, an advisor to Iran’s President Rouhani. One of the speakers from NUMOV will be board member Martin Herrenknecht, whose company produces tunnel-boring machines. Iranian nuclear facilities are partially hidden deeply in mountain ranges.

Experts fear that new and stronger trade relations with Iran will weaken the West in the negotiations with Iran on the nuclear issue. Sanctions have forced Iran to participate in the current negotiations. When the economic pressure fades, the risk is high that the laboriously constructed international sanctions regime will collapse.

Michael Spaney, spokesman for the campaign STOP THE BOMB comments: "There is no sign that the Iranian nuclear program is dismantled, but German companies reward the Iranian regime with new deals. The number of executions in Iran is rising dramatically. In Syria, 150,000 people have been killed, and Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah are jointly responsible. The intensification of trade with Iran by German business associations rewards the terrorist course of the Iranian regime and makes a military escalation more likely."

It is the goal of Iranian president Rouhani, to reduce the economic pressure on the regime and to continue with its nuclear program. U.S. President Obama has announced that in case the negotiations fail sanctions will be tightened and the breaching of sanctions will be severely punished. "As long as the Islamist regime in Iran stays in power that threatens its neighbors and exerts terror against opponents, conferences like these have no legitimacy," says Michael Spaney.

The campaign STOP THE BOMB will protest on 8 April 2014 at 9:30 a.m. in front of NUMOV, Jägerstraße 63d, 10117 Berlin.

Germany: Seminar with an Iranian Ambassador of neo-fascism

STOP THE BOMB spokesman Michael Spaney commented: "An erosion of the sanctions by the German-Iranian business lobby encourages the Iranian Islamists to maintain their nuclear weapons program, causing disastrous effects for the region and the world. The seminar with a prominent Iranian anti-Semite and friend of fascists shows a portrait of manners of a milieu, that wants to do business with Tehran at any cost despite the sad record of executions in Iran and the massive military support of the anti-Semitic terrorist regime for the mass murderer Assad. The German Federal Government must state clearly that the central sanctions against the Islamic Republic are still in effect and that sanction infringements are punished by law. "

(1) http://www.dihkev.de/files/1274/upload/Ablaufplan%20des%20Seminars%20am%2028%2002%202014.pdf

(4) http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/obama-vows-ton-of-bricks-pain-for-iran-sanctions-violators-114021200020_1.html

Berlin's ex-mayor Walter Momper (SPD) undermines sanction pressure on Iran

The STOP THE BOMB initiative considers event "shameful" for German social democracy

press release January 15th, 2014

On January 22nd, 2014 the German business association "Berliner Wirtschaftsgespräche e.V." and its chairman Walter Momper (SPD) are inviting for an event in the Iranian embassy in Berlin.
 
According to the announcement, "the economic relations of the countries and cities, the economic development of the country as well as the possibilities of cooperation are in the center" of the conversation between the former mayor of Berlin and the Iranian Ambassador Sheikh Attar .
 
The campaign STOP THE BOMB calls on Walter Momper to distance himself from this event which undermines sanction pressure. STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney: "The planned business event with Walter Momper and an Iranian official responsible for massive human rights violations is shameful in itself. Additionally it unleashes the risk that the pressure for nuclear concessions from Iran for a final agreement is nullified. Walter Momper and the German social democracy should refrain from everything that puts at risk the arduously constructed international sanctions system and strengthens the Iranian despotism against their democratic opponents."
 
The Revolutionary Guard Attar is accused of being responsible for serious human rights violations in Kurdistan-Iran and for threatening Iranian dissidents in Germany. As a confidant of Ahmadinejad he was appointed  ambassador to Germany and stands for continuity in the policies of the regime. Attar is considered to be the coordinator for the illicit procurement activities for the Iranian nuclear weapons program in Western Europe.
 
International sanctions have brought back the Iranian regime to the negotiating table to negotiate its illegal nuclear program. Events such as Walter Momper's with Sheikh Attar undermine a non-military solution to the nuclear crisis .

The Iranian regime used the time from a settled interim agreement in November 2013 to its planned implementation on January 20th for advancing the construction of the plutonium reactor in Arak, to enrich more uranium and to produce advanced centrifuges. According to the US administration the chances for a final agreement  are  50 to 50. Signals of normality in trade relations with Iran release the pressure on the Iranian regime and reduce even more the likelihood of a final agreement.

Geneva Nuclear Deal with Iran: Surrender instead of Freeze

STOP THE BOMB criticizes the Geneva deal as appeasement

Press Release, November 24, 2013

The coalition STOP THE BOMB condemned the outcome of the Geneva talks between the Iranian regime and the UN veto powers and Germany . The result can’t be called a freeze of Iran’s nuclear program. Rather, dangerous concessions were made to the the Iranian regime: So Iran can continue the construction of the plutonium reactor at Arak with slight limitations , centrifuges are not dismantled and the uranium enrichment can be continued. The political scientist Matthias Küntzel has pointed out that the agreement stays behind existing UN sanctions on Iran in 2006  calling upon Iran to refrain from all uranium enrichment  and plutonium activities. [1]

Instead of stopping Iran's nuclear program, new sanctions were stopped and existing ones removed. Among those are sanctions regarding the petrochemical sector, precious metals, the automotive industry and civil aviation . [2 ]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney criticized the threat to the hard-won sanctions regime: " The suspension of sanctions is a fatal signal of appeasement . In six months Iran will have enriched more uranium, and the construction of the Arak heavy water reactor will have dangerously advanced. The political signal going out from this is extremely devastating. After this agreement it is much more difficult to increase the sanction pressure again. Tehran is also signaled that the West shuns any serious confrontation with the regime. The West also ignored the security concerns of Arab states and Israel, for which the Iranian nuclear weapons program represents an existential threat.“

The Political scientist Matthias Küntzel concludes : "  The surrender in Geneva allows Iran to become a nuclear threshold state and provides legitimacy and impetus for Iran’s efforts. It has made hopes for a peaceful resolution of the nuclear conflict extremely difficult. The consequences are unpredictable."

[1] See: Matthias Küntzel, Surrender in Geneva 

[2] The nuclear deal, full text (CNN)

German federal agency BAFA allowed export of components for nuclear weapons program in Iran

Press Release, November 8, 2013 

STOP THE BOMB criticizes mild sentence, calls for a committee of inquiry and the dismissal of BAFA’s President

Unexpectedly lenient penalties were imposed today against four merchants and entrepreneurs by the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg in the Arak trial in Hamburg. Despite prison sentences of between 33 months and 4 years, only the defendant Ali K. must go to jail, Rudolf M. and Kianzad K. are spared from further imprisonment. The mediator Hamid Kh. received a suspended sentence. The convicts had supplied components for the Iranian heavy water reactor in Arak and falsified documents in order to mislead the regulatory authorities. If the reactor in Arak goes on line as planned next year, plutonium for two nuclear bombs per year would be produced there. [1]

Trial observer and political scientist Matthias Küntzel comments: “This verdict has no deterrent effect because the two defendants from the German mid tier business were freed without further detention. This downgrades the smuggling for Iranian plutonium plants to a trivial offense.”

The trial also revealed a blatant failure of the German supervisory authorities, in particular the Federal Office of Export Control (BAFA). The special components for the nuclear weapons program were delivered to Iran despite repeated warnings and evidence from the U.S., but also from the German intelligence service. While the BAFA issued a so-called “zero notice” clearance certificate, the foreign ministry also restrained concerns about the exports. The judge spoke of “misconduct” by the authorities.

BAFA has been sharply criticized in summer for waving through poison gas components exports to the Assad regime in Syria. [2] In December 2011, STOP THE BOMB pointed out that the authority ignored clear evidence of sanctions violations concerning Iran. [3]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: “If documents and explicit evidence of dangerous and illegal business with Iran are ignored time and again, one cannot speak of incompetence anymore. By issuing an export license for the supply of special valves for the heavy water reactor at Arak, BAFA has become complicit in the nuclear armament of the inhuman anti-Semitic regime in Tehran.”

Therefore, the coalition STOP THE BOMB calls for the establishment of a parliamentary investigation committee and the dismissal of BAFA’s President Arnold Wallraff.

Additional background information: http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/deutschland-iran/bafa.html  

[1] www.isisnucleariran.org/sites/detail/arak/  

[2] www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/streit-ueber-giftgasangriff-deutschland-hat-syrien-chemikalien-geliefert-12579860.html   

[3] http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/germany-iran/hansa.html

Negotiating until Iran has the bomb?

STOP THE BOMB criticizes talks with Iranian regime in Geneva

Press release, November 6, 2013

The European coalition STOP THE BOMB severely criticizes the new round of negotiations on the Ayatollahs' nuclear program in Geneva. The coalition has been campaigning for tough sanctions against the Iranian regime, for Western support of the Iranian opposition and for the prevention of a nuclear Iran since 2007, with the support of Nobel Prize laureates Elie Wiesel, Imre Kertesz and Elfriede Jelinek.

Political analyst and Scientific Director of STOP THE BOMB, Stephan Grigat, criticizes the P5+1 negotiators for departing from the UN Security Council resolutions, which demand the complete cessation of uranium enrichment: "If these negotiations - which legitimize a regime that has already lost its legitimacy with large parts of the Iranian population - really have to take place, they should at least completely eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat. The goals of the negotiations should therefore be the complete and verifiable cessation of uranium enrichment, the complete removal of all enriched uranium out of the country, the closure of the nuclear facility in Fordo, the dismantling of the centrifuges in Natanz and the shutdown of the heavy water reactor in Arak."

The spokesman for STOP THE BOMB Europe, Michael Spaney, refers to the negative role President Rouhani had in the conflict about Iran's nuclear weapons program in the past: "As chief negotiator in 2005, Rouhani decisively advanced Iran's nuclear program with his strategy of deception. During his election campaign Rouhani boasted of deceiving, delaying and secretly advancing the nuclear program. The regime in Tehran is again playing for time. A new report of the Institute for Science and International Security estimates that Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium for one bomb within a month. The West must not be fooled by the delaying tactics of Iran's rulers and has to intensify the pressure on the regime."

STOP THE BOMB demands cancellation of Iran trip by Hannes Swoboda MEP

Press Release, Berlin / Vienna, October 18, 2013

Iran visit of Members of European Parliament thwarts Western position

The European coalition STOP THE BOMB, which campaigns for tough economic and political sanctions against the Iranian regime, demands the cancellation of the trip to Iran by Hannes Swoboda MEP, head oft he Social Democratic Group in the European Parliament, and his colleagues, scheduled for October 19th. [1]

STOP THE BOMB’s spokesperson for Europe, Michael Spaney cautions: „In a situation, when Western countries are trying to maintain a common position towards the Iranian regime, such a trip is completely inappropriate. Despite the recent negotiations in Geneva and Hassan Rouhani’s charme offensive, the centrifuges of the Iranian nuclear program are still spinning to enrich Uranium. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have meanwhile taken over the command in the Syrian civil war. Numerous regime representatives have repeated the annihilation threats against Israel since Rouhani’s inauguration. The regime also continues with the brutal oppression of any opposition inside Iran. Homosexuals are still threatened by the death penalty; the persecution of Bahai and other minorities has not changed at all. Against this background, this trip would send the completely wrong message and foster the openly announced tactics of Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif, to divide Europe and the US.” [2]

Stefan Schaden, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB in Austria, directly addresses Hannes Swoboda: “We demand the immediate cancellation of your visit to the Iranian regime. This trip entirely contradicts the spirit of the EU's sanctions which are still in place. It undermines the international efforts for a common position towards the Iranian regime. Instead of increasing pressure on Tehran, this trip offers the regime the possibility to celebrate yet another propaganda success. It would be appalling to see it was an Austrian politician who helps the Iranian regime of Holocaust deniers to become respectable again.“

[1] http://kurier.at/politik/eu/hannes-swoboda-reist-nach-teheran/31.438.222

[2] http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/rouhanis-negotiating-strategy-divide-and-isolate

Rohani talks about peace and wages war in Syria

STOP THE BOMB coalition warns against concessions to the Iranian Regime

Press Release, September 26, 2013

Universities in Potsdam and Frankfurt cooperate with Islamist Elite School in Iran

The coalition STOP THE BOMB demands the end of the joint academic program of the University of Religions and Denominations (URD) in Qom and the University of Potsdam.

The Institute of Religious Studies in Potsdam and the URD in Qom declared the beginning of cooperation in 2011. In September, a delegation of the University of Potsdam and the Goethe University Frankfurt / Main will travel to Iran.

The University of Potsdam justifies the cooperation pointing to the importance of interfaith dialogue and academic exchange, but doesn’t take into consideration that the URD follows and perpetuates the totalitarian and anti-Semitic state doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Iranian religious scholar Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh writes: “The goal of the URD in Qom is to support lobbyists, who have the potential to convince Western intellectuals that Iran is speaking truth and that the opinion of others is wrong.” [1] The purpose therefore is to spread the religious and political propaganda of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney explains: “Under the guise of interfaith dialogue, Islamist hardliners learn which kind of propaganda to use in the West, while religious minorities in Iran get arrested, tortured and assassinated. An interfaith dialogue with the Islamist elite of the regime, who actively persecutes religious minorities, means mocking the victims.”

Last week Ataollah Rezwani, an adherent of the Bahá'í Faith, which continues to be persecuted in Iran, was murered.[2] For 34 years German institutions have been trying to pursue a “critical dialogue” with Iran. This did not lead to liberalization in Iran. On the contrary, the nuclear program advances; and even after the presidential election of the so called reformist Rouhani in June 2013, the number of executions has been rising.[4]

The cooperation is backed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which signed a Memorandum of Understanding last year, in order to strengthen academic relationships with Iran. The fact that Kamran Daneshjoo, the Iranian Minister of Science, Research, and Technology at the time, was on the European Union sanctions list because of his alleged involvement in Iranian nuclear warhead design and work, was ignored. [5]

STOP THE BOMB condemns the cooperation particularly in times of international efforts to isolate Iran and impose sanctions on the Iranian regime. This cooperation only provides the totalitarian regime legitimacy and helps the regime with its propaganda efforts. STOP THE BOMB therefore demands the end of the joint academic program with the University of Religions and Denominations in Qom.

More information is available at an event of the organization Bündnis gegen Antisemitismus on the 5th of the September in Potsdam: http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/veranstaltungen/dialog.html 

[1] Compare jungle-world.com/von-tunis-nach-teheran/1832/. Compare also a report in the Jerusalem Post: “But what is overlooked is that the URD follows the totalitarian and anti-Semitic state doctrine. How can one work with an institute that spreads hate propaganda against the Bahai religion and the State of Israel, as well as defends the forced veiling of women.” www.jpost.com/International/Outrage-over-anti-Semitic-German-Iranian-program

[2] See http://www.bahai.de/artikel/datum/2013/08/27/iranischer-bahai-ermordet.html

[3] See http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323681904578640491141654014.html; According to official information of the Iranian regime 35 persons were executed between 14-26 August. (http://iranhr.net/spip.php?article2860)

[4] See https://www.daad.de/portrait/presse/pressemitteilungen/2012/21609.de.html;  http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/10/10/germanys-double-dealing-on-iran/

[5] See http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:088:0001:0112:EN:PDF. Kamran Daneshjoo also demands the dismissal of lecturers who are not loyal to the regime and gender segregation at universities. (http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/03/daneshjoo_iran/)

New massacre of Iranian dissidents in Iraq

Campaign STOP THE BOMB demands protection and admission of Iranian Refugees 

Press release, September 3, 2013

On the morning of 1 September, Iraqi special forces directly subordinated to Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, attacked the refugee Camp Ashraf and killed more than 50 residents, members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the Iranian regime boasted about its involvement in the massacre in the media. [1] 

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney says: "Germany has a special responsibility for this tragic situation because German diplomat Martin Kobler was UN Special Representative for Iraq from 2011 until June 2013. In this capacity he was significantly involved in the forced resettlement of a majority of the inhabitants to camp Liberty. Ignoring their harsh protest Kobler negotiated the fate of the refugees with the Iranian regime that persecutes and kills them." [2]

The resettlement of refugees from Camp Ashraf to camp Liberty took place in 2012. Liberty is completely ill-equipped in every way and offers no protection for the refugees from external attacks. This was confirmed by Kobler’s former adviser Tahar Boumedra, who therefore resigned from his position. [3] The remaining refugees in Camp Ashraf were also vulnerable due to the resettlement. If there is no help from outside the risk of further massacres in both camps is high.

In 2009 and 2011, the Iraqi army, supported by the regime in Tehran, attacked the Iranian refugees and killed several dozen people. Two rocket attacks followed. [4]

STOP THE BOMB condemns the brutal crimes in Camp Ashraf and calls on the Federal Government of Germany to do everything for the protection of refugees living in Iraq, i.e. demand free access of international aid agencies and the media, but particularly to allow the admission of refugees from Iraq to Germany.

[1] https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/ashraf-liberty/14497-iranian-regime-takes-responsibility-for-attack-against-ashraf

[2] Kobler said in 2012 : "I am in close contact with the Iranian authorities to allow these people to return voluntarily to Iran. Iraq is committed not to deport anybody to Iran against his will. But I am confident that many will go back to Iran." (FAZ, Feb. 2, 2012 ) In addition, he praised the "positive role" of the Iranian regime in Iraq. german.irib.ir/nachrichten/politik/item/205963-uno-wuerdigt-irans-positive-rolle-im-irak; www.tehrantimes.com/component/content/article/97669

[3] Boumedra explained: "When Iraq was ready to start relocating the exiles to the new site at Camp Liberty in December 2011, I made several visits to inspect Camp Liberty, and told Kobler that it was not fit to accommodate 3,400 men and women. Kobler visited Camp Liberty and saw that I was right; yet when the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) hired a consultant to assess the conditions at Camp Liberty, Kobler pressured him to certify that the camp met all required humanitarian standards, which we knew was far from the truth. After the consultant declined, Kobler issued a report that misled the international community and the exiles alike into believing the standards were being met so the transfer process could proceed.” thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/guest-commentary/244733-former-un-human-rights-chief-in-baghdad-tahar-boumedra-why-i-quit-the-un-in-iraq 

[4] See Stop the bomb press release of February 11, 2013.  

Only full ban of Hezbollah is effective!

STOP THE BOMB calls partial ban insufficient

Press Release, July 23, 2013

The coalition STOP THE BOMB regards today's ban of Hezbollah's 'military wing' in the European Union as a first step, but demands a full ban of the terrorist organization.

Hezbollah does not recognize the distinction between a „military“ and a „political“ wing. In their founding manifest, they wrote: „Our military apparatus is not separate from our overall social fabric. Each of us is a fighting soldier.“ [1] This position is repeatedly reinforced by Hezbollah until today. [2]

Stephan Grigat, scientific advisor and co-founder of STOP THE BOMB, comments: "Without a total ban, Hezbollah will still be able to continue fundraising and to promote its anti-Semitic and terrorist agenda in Europe. Continued 'political dialogue' with this organization is a stab in the back of that part of the Lebanese population who does not want to give in to Hezbollah's terror and the Iranian regime's interference in Lebanon."

As the terrorist attack last summer in Bulgaria shows, Europe is confronted with crimes of Hezbollah. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution the terrorist organization is present with nearly 1,000 supporters in Germany alone. [3]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: "If a designation of Hezbollah cannot be implemented on the EU level, Germany and other EU countries have to take unilateral measures against Hezbollah. A first test of the seriousness of the action against Hezbollah would be a ban of the annual 'Al Quds march' which is organized by the Iranian Regime and Hezbollah and will take place this Saturday, 3rd August in Berlin. [4]

[1] Compare the open letter of Hezbollah which was published in February 1985.

[2] Deputy General Secretary of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem said in a speech in 2012: „We don't have a military wing and a political one“. See Daily Star, October 7, 2012.

[3] In its report of 2011, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution mentioned the number of 950 Hezbollah activists.

[4] Each year, Hezbollah and other Islamists celebrate the so-called "Al Quds" day, which was initiated by Ayatollah Khomeini as an international day of fight against Israel.

Is the German Government out for Iranian Oil?

Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Iranian Oilminister to attend a conference in Frankfurt

Press Release, July 9, 2013

Under the patronage of German Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Federal Minister of Economics Philipp Rösler, on 10 July 2013 a conference will be held with the title “Energy Security – How to Feed and Secure the Global Demand.“ (1)

Among the speakers are Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi, a General of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. (2)

The Revolutionary Guards are among the most brutal representatives of the Islamist regime in Teheran. They are responsible not only for terrorist attacks abroad, but also for the Iranian Nuclear Program and the repression of the Iranian freedom movement. Furthermore, they control big parts of the Iranian economy.

According to a press release on the conference „high level policy maker“ will discuss „political developments in producing countries“ and „geostrategic implications of changing global energy supply routes“. However, the EU imposed sanctions against Iran’s energy sector and the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum is as an entity on the EU sanctions list. (3)

The campaign STOP THE BOMB protests against the invitation of Ghasemi. Michael Spaney, Spokesperson for the STOP THE BOMB said: „It seems as if the German government wants to find a way to arrange oil and gas deals for German companies with Iran, while the Iranian nuclear program is making progress, threatens the global security and will result in a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Instead of increasing the pressure on the regime, Germany still sticks to appeasement-politics and discusses to lift sanctions.“

During his election campaign, Iran’s new president Rohani boasted with having mislead his negotiating partners during the nuclear talks 2003-2005 by making false promises. (4) While the Iranian centrifuges still enrich uranium every day, Rohani – a close ally of religious leader Chameinei – is going to stall for time to reach an atomic bomb. Whether or not the new president is going to be successful with this strategy will partly depend on the fact how many invitations Iranian representatives are going to receive within the next few months.

(1) Organizers are the Munich Security Conference and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Forum chaired by MSC chairman, Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, and F.A.Z. publisher, Dr. Günther Nonnenmacher. http://www.faz-forum.com/security/

(2) Another Iranian speaker is Dr. Mehdi Asali, Energy Advisor at the Iranian Oil Ministry. Compare the program of the conference.

(3) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:282:0058:0069:EN:PDF

(4) Compare Matthias Küntzel, Präsident Rohani gehört zur alten Machtclique, 27.6.2013, http://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/article/view/id/16314 (in German).

STOP THE BOMB: Hassan Rowhani is neither a reformer nor moderate

Berlin, June 19, 2013

Iran's new president Hassan Rowhani is celebrated as a beacon of hope for democratic reform in Iran and as a future dialogue partner of the West. However, he is neither a reformer nor moderate: In 1999 Rowhani demanded the execution of students protesting against the Iranian regime. [1]

Hopes are pinned to Rowhani also because of his role in the nuclear conflict: The Iranian negotiator allegedly had made significant concessions to the European Union in 2003. [2]

However, Rowhani’s aim was the neutralization of international pressure shortly after the illegal nuclear program had been unveiled. After he promised that Iran would suspend the enrichment of uranium the EU 3 (Germany, UK and France) prevented that Iran's nuclear program was discussed at the UN Security Council. Rowhani later boasted of having deceived his negotiating partners and that Iran secretly advanced its nuclear weapons capability. [3]

Rowhani’s promise to follow a “path of moderation” must be understood in the context of Khamenei’s announcement that foreign policy will not change. [4] If the new president announces that there should be no foreign interference in Syria, he only means the opponents of Bashar al-Assad. The Iranian regime has intensified its own intervention in Syria and reportedly just a few days ago decided to send 4,000 Revolutionary Guards to Syria. [5] Just like Khamenei the new president supports the Assad regime because for him it is the "front line of the fight against Zionism" that should "not be weakened." [6]

"Should Hassan Rowhani manage to win more time in the nuclear negotiations, the Iranian regime will soon have nuclear weapons. Rather than initiating a new round of dialogue with someone who represents the strategy of deception in the nuclear conflict, the Federal Government should follow the example of Canada", said Michael Spaney, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB.

The Canadian government has cut off economic and diplomatic relations with the Iranian regime while supporting the Iranian opposition against the Islamic dictatorship. [7] 

[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3240618.stm

[2] This is stressed in a press release of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Fraction of June 17, 2013, http://www.cducsu.de/Titel__ausgang_der_iranischen_praesidentschaftswahl_kann_ein_zeichen_fuer_hoffnung_und_dialog_sein/TabID__6/SubTabID__7/InhaltTypID__1/InhaltID__26018/Inhalte.aspx 

[3] "While we were talking with the Europeans in Tehran, we were installing equipment in parts of the facility in Isfahan, but we still had a long way to go to complete the project," he said. "In fact, by creating a calm environment, we were able to complete the work on Isfahan." http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/14/international/middleeast/14iran.html?_r=0. Compare the analysis „Hassan Rowhani and his good relations to Berlin“ (in German) of Matthias Küntzel, www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/hassan-rohani-ein-mann-mit-guten-beziehungen-nach-berlin.

[4] http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/06/04/No-concessions-to-west-Iran-s-Khamenei-tells-candidates.html

[5] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-to-send-4000-troops-to-aid-president-assad-forces-in-syria-8660358.html

[6] Compare Press TV, http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/220357.html

[7] http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/29/canada-ends-all-trade-with-iran-citing-grave-and-sincere-concern-over-nuclear-program/

STOP THE BOMB Demands Increase of Sanctions against Iran

Press Release, April 7, 2013 

The coalition STOP THE BOMB calls for stronger political and economic sanctions against the Iranian regime after the end of nuclear talks in Kasachstan. The talks in Almaty were not only fruitless, but revealed once again Iran’s tactical intentions: buying time through blinding. Instead of negotiating about a substantial offer made by the P5+1 the Iranian side acted evasive and joined with their own demands that are rightfully beyond any acceptance for the international community, particularly because the Iranian regime demanded the lifting of all sanctions for only insignificant concessions, an offer which does not contribute to a solution of the conflict and therefore is unacceptable at this point. [1]

Saba Farzan, Senior Fellow and Head of Iran Research of the Mideast Freedom Forum, assesses the new round of failed negotiations as a turning point: „Once again it has become visible that it is the Iranian regime that desperately needs those talks, but not the world community. Questions and serious concerns over this clandestine nuclear programm will never be answered by this regime. Now more than ever a consistent Iran policy is needed which offers direct diplomacy with the Iranian people, support for the secular and democratic opposition, a diplomatic boycott of the Islamic Republic and a full trade embargo with the exception of food and medicine.“  [2]

A lot is at stake in this now for almost two decades ongoing conflict – the security of Israel and Arab countries in the Persian Gulf, the future of the Non – Proliferation Treaty and the fate of Iran’s civil society. With united determination and political courage a true change in Iran must be supported so that this enduring conflict can be solved peacefully.

After ten years of endless dialogue with Iran’s dictatorship the democratic world owes it to itself to speed up on first signs of a much tougher political and economic stance. [3]

[1] Compare the analysis of Laura Rozen: http://backchannel.al-monitor.com/index.php/2013/04/4976/us-diplomat-substantive-iran-nuclear-talks-reveal-distance-between-two-sides/ 

[2] Compare the more detailed analysis of Saba Farzan: www.tagesspiegel.de/meinung/gastbeitrag-das-iranische-regime-kaempft-gegen-sich-selbst/7814922.html     

[3] http://www.jpost.com/Iranian-Threat/News/Iran-big-powers-at-odds-in-nuclear-talks-in-Kazakhstan-308822

No Stage for the Iranian Regime!

STOP THE BOMB protests against the invitation of the Iranian ambassador to the Evangelische Akademie

Berlin, April 4, 2013

The coalition STOP THE BOMB calls on the Evangelische Akademie Loccum, a center belonging to the Lutheran Church Hannover, to recall the invitation of representatives of the Iranian regime to a conference on the Iranian civil society. The Iranian regime's ambassador to Germany, Ali Reza Sheikh Attar and Kazem Sadjadpour from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs are invited to speak at the conference on April 18, 2013. The title of the conference is "A New Policy for the Middle East. How can the Iranian civil society be strengthened? " [1] For this conference, the Evangelische Akademie applied for funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Sheikh Attar is accused to being directly responsible for numerous killings in the Kurdish areas of Iran. Michael Spaney, spokesperson for STOP THE BOMB Germany, asks the Evangelische Akademie to follow the example of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Saxony and the Neuhardenberg Foundation, which have canceled similar events with the Iranian ambassador due to protests. [2] "We particularly expect that the representatives of the CDU and SPD in the convent of the Academy, among them Björn Thümler, chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in Lower Saxony and Stefan Schostok, SPD candidate for the office of mayor in Hanover, will speak out against the participation of Attar and Sadjadpour. In case this will not happen, we are calling on the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, not to promote this conference, which serves as a stage for the Iranian regime. "

Saba Farzan, a publicist and head of Iran research at the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin criticized in an open letter the overall design of the conference: " To pretend that this conference is designed to strengthen the Iranian civil society is a mockery of the young Iranian generation and their courage." [3]

Dr. Stephan Grigat, a political scientist and co-founder of STOP THE BOMB, refers to the principal problem of a dialogue with representatives of the Iranian regime. "It is particularly absurd to discuss with Sheikh Attar, a confidant of Iran’s president Ahmadinejad or with a representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry which in 2006 organized the Holocaust denier conference, about how to strengthen the Iranian civil society. But regardless of the particular topic, every invitation of representatives of the dictatorship of the Ayatollahs in Iran legitimizes the Iranian regime and weakens the Iranian opposition in Iran and in exile. The Iranian regime is well known for the persecution of gays, the oppression of women and bloody repression against the freedom movement and for repeated threats of annihilation against Israel. The Iranian nuclear and missile program will provide the possibility for the regime to make these threats real in the near future. "

Hiwa Bahrami, the spokesman of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan in Germany, calls for the cancellation of the participation of Sheikh Attar: "The West has to finally profess its unambiguous support of the Iranian opposition rather than going on in leading a fruitless dialogue with the murderers of the Iranian freedom movement and the anti-Semitic Holocaust deniers. All dangers posed by this regime, can ultimately only be resolved if this regime is overthrown. "

[1] http://www.loccum.de/programm/p1317.html 

[2] Compare to the protests against the Neuhardenberg-Foundation: http://de.stopthebomb.net/neuhardenberg.html; on the protests against the invitation of Sheikh Attar to a conference of the Böll-Stiftung in Saxony in 2009: http://de.stopthebomb.net/leipzig.html 

[3] Compare the open letter of Saba Farzan: http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/evangelische-akademie.html

Missile attacks on Iranian refugee camp in Iraq

Press Release, February 11, 2013

STOP THE BOMB demands the dismissal of the UN envoy to Iraq, Martin Kobler, and the protection of Iranian refugees by the Federal Government

On the morning of 9 February 2013, more than 30 rockets and mortars were fired at the Iranian refugee camp "Camp Liberty" in Iraq. At least 6 members of the Iranian opposition group MEK were killed in the attack. The Iraqi army attacked the Iranian refugees before with support from the regime in Tehran in 2009 and 2011 and killed several dozen people.

Martin Kobler has been UN Special Representative for Iraq since August 2011. He worked as bureau chief for Joschka Fischer before. Today he is responsible for the Iranian refugees in Iraq. Kobler and the Iraqi government pressured the Iranian refugees  to move from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty, a former facility of the U.S. Army. Allegedly this should facilitate a quick transfer to third countries. According to Tahar Boumedra, a former UN official, Kobler knew that the new location did not meet the humanitarian standards of a refugee camp. However, Kobler declared that all necessary preconditions for a transfer were met. (1)

Against strong protest of the refugees Kobler negotiated with Iranian authorities about the fate of the refugees, claiming against his better knowledge that a large number of the residents of Ashraf / Liberty was prepared to return voluntarily to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Kobler praised the Islamists in Tehran for the "creation of stable and secure conditions" in Iraq. (2)

STOP THE BOMB co-founder Andreas Benl says: "All the evidence of this brutal terrorist attack points to the responsibility of the regime in Tehran. Kobler has negotiated with this regime about the repatriation of the persecuted dissidents, although in Iran they would be in an imminent danger to life and limb. We are demanding the immediate dismissal of Kobler. Every gesture of appeasement towards the Iranian regime encourages the regime to more acts of terror. The victims of this terror are oppositional Iranians, Syrian freedom fighters and Israelis. Whoever acts as a stooge of the Mullahs like Kobler does cannot confront this terror. "

STOP THE BOMB calls on the federal government to grant refugees from Camp Liberty residence permit in Germany and to support a dismissal of Martin Kobler. His responsibility for the deaths of refugees in Camp Liberty has to be investigated by an independent commission.

[1] "When Iraq was ready to start relocating the exiles to the new site at Camp Liberty in December 2011, I made several visits to inspect Camp Liberty, and told Kobler that it was not fit to accommodate 3,400 men and women. Kobler visited Camp Liberty and saw that I was right; yet when the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) hired a consultant to assess the conditions at Camp Liberty, Kobler pressured him to certify that the camp met all required humanitarian standards, which we knew was far from the truth. After the consultant declined, Kobler issued a report that misled the international community and the exiles alike into believing the standards were being met so the transfer process could proceed.  He also had UNAMI staff take around 500 photographs at Camp Liberty, of which 20-30 of the least offensive were selected, and sent to the exiles’ parent organization in Paris with the message that the new site would measure 40 square kilometers, reduced to 2.5 square kilometers. On that basis, the exiles agreed to move out of Camp Ashraf. In reality, the site at Camp Liberty measures 0.6 square kilometers and is surrounded by three-to four-meter concrete walls. It reminds me of the concentration camp I lived in as a child during Algeria’s war of liberation." thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/guest-commentary/244733-former-un-human-rights-chief-in-baghdad-tahar-boumedra-why-i-quit-the-un-in-iraq

[2] "I am in close contact with Iranian authorities that the people can go back to Iran on the basis of their free will. Iraq has stated his commitment not to expulse anybody against his will to Iran. However, I am confident that many will go back to Iran." (FAZ 4.2.2012) 

http://german.irib.ir/nachrichten/politik/item/205963-uno-wuerdigt-irans-positive-rolle-im-irak; http://www.tehrantimes.com/component/content/article/97669.

„MAN’s Iran-business not acceptable“

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, January 16, 2013

The Campaign STOP THE BOMB supports the protests of the American organisation UANI (United Against Nuclear Iran) against the German company MAN. Within the framework of its shipping campaign UANI protests against MAN’s business with sanctioned Iranian shipping companies and against the involvement in the construction of new vessels for the Iranian regime. These activities undermine U.S., EU, and UN sanctions against the Iranian regime.

The Campaign STOP THE BOMB strongly protests against the Iran-business of MAN. STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: „The new sanctions of the EU prohibit the participation in the construction of new oil tankers for Iran. We call upon MAN to immediately stop its activities for the Iranian regime, including those that are operated via third countries like China. This includes maintenance and refitting of engines for Iranian tankers. We call upon the German government, to implement an effective monitoring system on the national and the EU level, which can effectively prevent these kind of activities.“ [1]

The Iranian regime’s seaborne export capacity is an Achilles heel of the Iranian regime. International sanctions, restrictions on the provision of technical expertise and tanker replacement parts to Iran, and the age of the Iranian vessels limit the Iranian capacity to carry out its oil business. To modernize its tanker fleet the Iranian regime is dependant on the cooperation with companies like MAN, because few companies internationally can construct engines for very large crude carriers and provide maintenance.

Michael Spaney: „The Iranian shipping industry is directly controlled by the regime. In assisting the Iranian regime to overcome its problems in transportation, MAN supports the Iranian regime in developing its most lucrative economic sector. The regime uses revenues to finance its illegal nuclear weapons program and to support the Syrian regime that is brutally repressing its own people.“

In an open letter to MAN’s board UANI specifies the activities of MAN with the Iranian regime. You can find the letter here. Here are some selected activities:

• Reportedly, a number of Iranian oil tankers are fitted with MAN Diesel & Turbo SE engines. Among them are the Iranian tankers “Camellia” and “Majestic” and the Iranian tanker “Justice”. These tankers are reportedly fitted with MAN B&W 6S70MC6 21 and 6S90MC-C22 engines, respectively with a MAN Diesel engine, model 6S90MC-C19.

• MAN is reportedly involved in the construction of 12 new Very Large Crude Carriers for the NITC (National Iranian Tanker Company). NITC is on the EU sanctions list since October 2012. The vessels are being built in shipyards owned by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. Specifically, MAN Diesel & Turbo appears to be supplying Chinese companies with parts and technology to build low and medium-speed marine diesel engines, which are necessary to power the very large vessels.

• MAN reportedly is directly cooperating with IRISL on the construction of at least five new vessels for the Iranian regime. IRISL is also on the sanctions list of the EU. MAN’s Iranian partner in the construction of these vessels is the Persian Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation (PGSC). PGSC is controlled by the Iranian regime. The PGSC is currently constructing two chemical tankers and three container ships for the NITC, IRISL and Hafiz Darya Shipping Co., an IRISL front company. All are fitted with MAN engines.

•  MAN Diesel & Turbo also appears to have partnered with the Iran Heavy Diesel Engine Manufacturing Company (“DESA”), a regime-controlled corporation that provides services to sanctioned entities as the Iran Marine Industrial Company and the National Iranian Drilling Company. DESA is a subsidiary of the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran, an arm of the Iranian regime controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and blacklisted by the U.S. and EU for its activities in a wide range of nuclear and military industries. In light of their connections to IDRO, MAN’s apparent partnerships with DESA are clearly unacceptable.

[1] Compare Council Decision 2012/635/GASP of 15 October 2012 amending Decision 2010/413/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Iran, eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do

Protests against the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister to Germany

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, January 30, 2013

The campaign STOP THE BOMB protests against the invitation of Ali Akbar Salehi to the Munich Security Conference and to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP), a German think tank.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the Iranian foreign minister, is invited to participate at the 49th Munich Security Conference, which will take place from 1 - 3 February in Munich. After the conference, Salehi will travel to Berlin and speak at the DGAP, an institute which is partly funded by the Foreign Office. [1]

STOP THE BOMB protests in the strongest terms against the invitation of Salehi. "The Iranian regime exploits the talks to gain time for the development of its atomic bomb. Salehi's invitation to Germany sends a signal to Tehran that there is still time for business as usual, instead of exerting pressure", says Michael Spaney, spokesman for STOP THE BOMB.

Three rounds of international talks with the Iranian regime on the nuclear conflict ended in 2012 without result. The leadership in Tehran refused to allow inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit its military facilities and openly admits that they deceive IAEA inspectors with false information. [2] The new talks with Salehi are held while in Iran a new wave of executions and public torture is taking place. [3]

Until he had been appointed foreign minister of Iran, Salehi himself, as head of the Iranian nuclear program, was on the EU sanctions list and banned from entering the EU.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: "The Iranian regime, despite all talks, stays with its antisemitic and warmongering policy without compromise. The Iranian leadership continuously declares its intention to destroy the state of Israel, keeps on working on its nuclear arms programme and sends its terrorist allies to Syria and other countries – even into the EU. One shouldn't enhance the status of the regime with useless talks. However, public talks of the German government and the DGAP with Iranian oppositional forces would be of highest importance." [4]

The coalition STOP THE BOMB will protest in Berlin against Salehi's visit to the DGAP next Monday, February 4th at Rauchstrasse 17, 10787 Berlin. [5]

1] https://dgap.org/de/node/23256

[2] Rick Gladstone/Christine Hauser: Iran’s Top Atomic Official Says Nation Issued False Nuclear Data to Fool Spies, in: NYT, 20.09.2012, quoted in Matthias Küntzel, America’s Shifting “Red Lines” on Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions: A Wedge Issue in US–Israeli Relations. http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/americas-shifting-red-lines-on-irans-nuclear-ambitions-a-wedge-issue-in-usisraeli-relations
„If Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb, no one will be able to stop it“, threatened President Mahmud Ahmadinedjad. Compare George Jahn: 6 powers, Iran, remain split on nuclear issues, Associated Press, 08.06.2012. bigstory.ap.org/article/6-powers-iran-remain-split-nuclear-issues

[3] Compare http://jungle-world.com/von-tunis-nach-teheran/2026/; http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/world/middleeast/iran-resorts-to-hangings-in-public-to-cut-crime.html?ref=world&_r=1&; http://www.krone.at/Nachrichten/Iran_Immer_mehr_oeffentliche_Hinrichtungen-Keine_Gnade_fuer_Arme-Story-348343

[4] On international Holocaust Memorial Day Iran's president Ahmadinejad called on the Muslim world to fight together for an “end to Zionism”: “President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called on Muslim nations to pursue ‘specific aims’ to achieve unity, he said: ‘Under circumstances that the corrupt, uncultured and murderous Zionists are occupying and killing oppressed people, we should not sit idly by and take no action.’ President said putting an end to Zionism should be among the goals of unity among Muslim.” http://www.president.ir/en/44681.

[5] The coalition STOP THE BOMB is going to protest with a rally against the invitation of Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi at the DGAP: Monday, 4th of February 2013 at 11:30 am in front of the DGAP building at Rauchstraße 17, 10787 Berlin, in case the event is not called off. Further information: http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/dgap-2013.html#c2560

„MAN’s Iran-business not acceptable“

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, January 16, 2013

The Campaign STOP THE BOMB supports the protests of the American organisation UANI (United Against Nuclear Iran) against the German company MAN. Within the framework of its shipping campaign UANI protests against MAN’s business with sanctioned Iranian shipping companies and against the involvement in the construction of new vessels for the Iranian regime. These activities undermine U.S., EU, and UN sanctions against the Iranian regime.

The Campaign STOP THE BOMB strongly protests against the Iran-business of MAN. STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: „The new sanctions of the EU prohibit the participation in the construction of new oil tankers for Iran. We call upon MAN to immediately stop its activities for the Iranian regime, including those that are operated via third countries like China. This includes maintenance and refitting of engines for Iranian tankers. We call upon the German government, to implement an effective monitoring system on the national and the EU level, which can effectively prevent these kind of activities.“ [1]

The Iranian regime’s seaborne export capacity is an Achilles heel of the Iranian regime. International sanctions, restrictions on the provision of technical expertise and tanker replacement parts to Iran, and the age of the Iranian vessels limit the Iranian capacity to carry out its oil business. To modernize its tanker fleet the Iranian regime is dependant on the cooperation with companies like MAN, because few companies internationally can construct engines for very large crude carriers and provide maintenance.

Michael Spaney: „The Iranian shipping industry is directly controlled by the regime. In assisting the Iranian regime to overcome its problems in transportation, MAN supports the Iranian regime in developing its most lucrative economic sector. The regime uses revenues to finance its illegal nuclear weapons program and to support the Syrian regime that is brutally repressing its own people.“

In an open letter to MAN’s board UANI specifies the activities of MAN with the Iranian regime. You can find the letter here. Here are some selected activities:

• Reportedly, a number of Iranian oil tankers are fitted with MAN Diesel & Turbo SE engines. Among them are the Iranian tankers “Camellia” and “Majestic” and the Iranian tanker “Justice”. These tankers are reportedly fitted with MAN B&W 6S70MC6 21 and 6S90MC-C22 engines, respectively with a MAN Diesel engine, model 6S90MC-C19.

• MAN is reportedly involved in the construction of 12 new Very Large Crude Carriers for the NITC (National Iranian Tanker Company). NITC is on the EU sanctions list since October 2012. The vessels are being built in shipyards owned by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. Specifically, MAN Diesel & Turbo appears to be supplying Chinese companies with parts and technology to build low and medium-speed marine diesel engines, which are necessary to power the very large vessels.

• MAN reportedly is directly cooperating with IRISL on the construction of at least five new vessels for the Iranian regime. IRISL is also on the sanctions list of the EU. MAN’s Iranian partner in the construction of these vessels is the Persian Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation (PGSC). PGSC is controlled by the Iranian regime. The PGSC is currently constructing two chemical tankers and three container ships for the NITC, IRISL and Hafiz Darya Shipping Co., an IRISL front company. All are fitted with MAN engines.

•  MAN Diesel & Turbo also appears to have partnered with the Iran Heavy Diesel Engine Manufacturing Company (“DESA”), a regime-controlled corporation that provides services to sanctioned entities as the Iran Marine Industrial Company and the National Iranian Drilling Company. DESA is a subsidiary of the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran, an arm of the Iranian regime controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and blacklisted by the U.S. and EU for its activities in a wide range of nuclear and military industries. In light of their connections to IDRO, MAN’s apparent partnerships with DESA are clearly unacceptable.

[1] Compare Council Decision 2012/635/GASP of 15 October 2012 amending Decision 2010/413/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Iran, eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do

Protest against Iran Seminar of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce

STOP THE BOMB: „German seminar is a support to circumvent international sanctions“

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, January 15, 2013

[4] http://www.dihkev.de/de/44944-Stellungnahme-zum-Iranhandel

STOP THE BOMB: Cancel Iran Trip of German MP's

After an Iran trip of an EU delegation sparked protests worldwide (1), news of German Parliament members travelling to Iran in October became known. The trip is scheduled from October 27th to November 2nd. Bijan Djir-Sarai, a member of Merkel’s coalition partner FDP and chairman of the German-Iranian Parliamentary Group is heading the delegation during the Iran trip. On the itinerary are meetings with members of the Majlis, the Iranian pseudo parliament.

The coalition STOP THE BOMB, an NGO demanding strong economic and political sanctions against the Iranian regime, calls for the cancellation of the trip. The planned visit would undermine the pressure of international sanctions against Iran.

Last week, many protested against an Iran trip of members of the European parliament. Among them were two U.S. Senators (2), the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Philipp Missfelder, spokesman for foreign affairs of the CDU/CSU and the President of the German-Israeli Society, Reinhold Robbe (3).

The spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB, Michael Spaney explains: "Given the dictatorial conditions in Iran, contacts to representatives of the Majlis cannot change the situation in the country. The Guardian Council selects the candidates for the Iranian Majles. The mass protests in 2009 showed the world that the Iranian people do not want to be represented by this regime."

"As long as the Iranian regime gets the message by German and European travel diplomacy that it is not politically isolated, it will push its nuclear program and play for time. Political isolation must be enforced along with economic sanctions. Each official trip to Iran sends the message to the Islamist rulers in Tehran that the West is not serious", says Michael Spaney.

(1) http://de.stopthebomb.net/eu-delegation-2012.html

(2) http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article110036708/Scharfe-Kritik-an-geplanter-EU-Reise-nach-Teheran.html

(3) http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/aerger-um-parlamentarier-treffen-iran-reiseplaene-spalten-die-politik/7280644.html

STOP THE BOMB demands cancellation of EU trip to Iran

EU delegation's visit to Iran thwarts sanctions

STOP THE BOMB Europe, October 16, 2012

The European coalition STOP THE BOMB, which campaigns for tough economic and political sanctions against the Iranian regime, demands the cancellation of the trip by a delegation of the European parliament to Iran, scheduled for October 27th.
Considering the given situation, in which the Iranian regime unwaveringly cherishes its nuclear program, continuously repeats its threats of annihilation towards Israel, represses by brute force every movement of the opposition in Iran and directly participates in quelling the protests in Syria, this visit would set the worst signal possible and subvert the Iranian opposition.
 
STOP THE BOMB's spokesperson for Europe, Simone Dinah Hartmann, directly addresses the President of the EU Parliament, Martin Schulz: "We urge the conference of Presidents to prohibit courting the Iranian Regime as they did in 2011. This trip entirely contradicts the spirit of the EU's sanctions and it thwarts the recent decisions by the EU member states. Instead of increasing pressure on Tehran, this trip offers the regime the possibility to celebrate yet another propaganda success."

No stage for the Iranian Regime at the Frankfurt Book Fair

STOP THE BOMB Press Release October 9, 2012

The campaign „STOP THE BOMB – No Deals with the Iranian Regime!“ will protest against the participation of the Iranian regime at the Frankfurt Book Fair. On Wednesday, October 10, from 8.30 am to 4 pm a protest booth will be near the area “City-Eingang” to the fair at the “Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage”, at 1.00 pm the campaign will hold a protest rally under the slogan “No Stage for the Iranian Regime!”.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle explains the protest: “The Islamic Republic of Iran is a deadly threat for the freedom of expression and art, as the death fatwas against Salman Rushdie and recently against the exile-Iranian German resident Shahin Najafi showed. The Iranian embassy and pro-regime publishers again want to use the Book Fair to spread anti-Semitism, Islamism and propaganda. As sign of solidarity with the victims of the regime we call on the manager of the fair Juergen Boos to disinvite the regime and to offer the free space at the fair to exile-Iranian artists!”

As this year’s speciality Ali Esmaeli of the „Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance“ announced a „Holy Prophet“ stand to protest against the Muhammad video “Innocence of Muslims”. Even before the fair he incited against the “United States and the Zionist regime” and blamed them for the video.

You can find more information, our full call for protests and a background article by Matthias Küntzel here: http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/d-iran/frankfurt-book-fair.html

The political scientist Stephan Grigat will be available for interviews at the protest booth.

Hizbullah on the EU terror list in next round of sanctions against Iran!

STOP THE BOMB for a ban of Hizbullah prior to the October 15 meeting of EU foreign ministers

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, October 6, 2012*

The campaign STOP THE BOMB calls on the German government to ban Hizbullah in Germany and to push for placing Hizbullah on the EU list of terrorist organizations. The 27 foreign ministers of the EU will meet on 15 October in Luxembourg to consult a new round of sanctions against the Iranian regime.

The regime in Teheran played a crucial role in building up the Lebanese Hizbullah and is still financing and arming it today. Yahia Safawi, a close advisor of Chamenei, Iran’s religious leader, explained recently that Hizbullah plays a central role in the Iranian military strategy. [1]

Hizbullah supports the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Walid Sakariya, a retired Hizbullah general explained in August 2012, an Iranian nuclear weapon would “finish off the Zionist enterprise“ but would also help Syria. [2] Right now, Hizbullah is fighting alongside the Baath dictatorship in Syria and helps smashing the uprising. [3]

The danger that Hizbullah poses for Europe is increasing. [4] The US State Department recently warned that Hizbullah could attack in Europe at any time and with little to no warning and expressed concerns about Hizbollah’s activities on a number of fronts, including their stepped-up terrorist campaign around the world. [5] According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution Hizbullah has approximately 950 supporters in Germany. [6]

Michael Spaney, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB says: “It is not acceptable that a terror-organization is present in Germany and spreads its anti-Semitic and Islamist slogans, like Hizbullah does during the annual Al-Quds day demonstration in Berlin. The more the tension rises in the Middle East, the more likely are acts of terrorism of Hizbullah here as well. The terror-attacks are aimed at civilians and can basically hit anybody, but Hizbullah poses a particular threat to Jewish institutions and Iranian opposition members in exile. The EU must not allow Hizbullah to use the European Union as a safe haven and to collect donations.” [7]

So far, the USA, Canada, Israel and the Netherlands label Hizbullah a terrorist organization.  The UK has only designated Hizbullah’s military wing to be a terrorist organization. When the UK in 2009 tried to establish diplomatic ties to an imaginary political wing, Hizbullah dismissed the offer. [8] The division into a military and a political wing is illusionary and is rejected by Hizbullah itself. In a statement of Hizbullah from 1985 the organization declared:  “Our military apparatus is not separate from our overall social fabric. Each of us is a fighting soldier.” [9]

Find more information on Hizbullah here

* this is a slightly corrected version of the original press release. The UK has banned the entire military wing and not only Hizbullah’s “External Security Organization”, as the earlier version incorrectly stated.

[1] http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Sep-08/187219-official-says-hezbollah-will-retaliate-if-israel-attacks-iran-report.ashx#axzz28KGa9uyk

[2] Interview with Hizbullah MP General (ret.) Walid Sakariya, which aired on Al-Manar TV on August 7, 2012. http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/6580.htm

[3] The Syrian insurgents therefore consider Hizbullah to be a legitimate target: http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/6636.htm

[4] Hizbullah is responsible for the 2012 attacks in Tiflis/Georgian Republic, Bangkok/Thailand and New Delhi /India. Hizbullah may also have organized the murder of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, i.e. in a European country. The case of Steven Smyrek shows that Hizbullah is also recruiting Germans for its attacks. http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/deutscher-hisbollah-kaempfer-smyrek-ist-in-deutschland-untergetaucht-a-284241.html

[5] http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/geheimdienste-experten-warnen-vor-terroranschlaegen-in-europa/6989490.html

[6] Ministry of the Interior, Report of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution 2011, http://www.verfassungsschutz.de/download/SHOW/vsbericht_2011_vorabfassung.pdf , p. 233. The „Islamische Zentrum Hamburg“ (Islamic Center Hamburg) and Imam Reza Mosque in Berlin are in contact with Hizbullah. In Germany the followers of Hizbullah meet and organize activities in local mosques associations. These associations are financed primarily through donations, which are collected on religious holidays. The association „Waisenkinderprojekt Libanon e.V.“ in Göttingen is collecting money in Germany which is transferred to the „al-Shahid Association“ in Lebanon. The association is part of the Hizbullah network.

[7] Hizbullah’s bomb attack on a Jewish community center in Argentina was one of the most serious antisemitic attacks in the post-war era. The infamous Mykonos attack in Berlin is one of the most well known attacks of Hizbullah against Iranian opposition members in Europe. In 1992 Hizbullah members murdered four Iranian-Kurdish exile politicians by order of the Iranian regime. A Berlin court stated in its decision from August 10, 1997, that the attack was planned and organized in Tehran and was carried out by members of the Hizbullah. See the verdict at https://www.unodc.org/tldb/showDocument.do?documentUid=7320

[8] See Jonathan Weckerle: Die Logik des Widerstandes, Phase 2. http://phase-zwei.org/hefte/artikel/die-logik-des-widerstandess-55/

[9] http://www.ict.org.il/Articles/tabid/66/Articlsid/4/Default.aspx

Sanctions ignite anti-Regime Protests in Iran

STOP THE BOMB calls for the support of the Iranian Opposition

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, Berlin, October 3rd, 2012

For the first time since the beginning of 2011, thousands of people in Iran went to the streets to demonstrate against the Islamic dictatorship. The reason for the demonstrations is the catastrophic economic situation of the country. The Iranian regime spends billions for it s nuclear weapons program and for the support of its allies Assad in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The regime is willing to accept sanctions and the economic isolation of the country in order to pursue its terrorist foreign policy.

The people demonstrating know that this expansionist policy is responsible for their economic demise. This is demonstrated by today’s slogan: „Let Syria go, think of us instead.“ [1]

The campaign STOP THE BOMB demands to finally support the democratic Iranian opposition by all means, instead of betraying it again like back in 2009.

Michael Spaney, spokesperson of the campaign STOP THE BOMB says: „Now, the German side has to send a clear signal to the Iranian population. Germany is still Iran’s most important trade partner and supports the regime with diplomatic and cultural initiatives. [2] Instead, the German government and society have to look for a dialogue with Iranian democrats and stop the wheeling and dealing with the regime.“

While the Iranian regime clings to its nuclear weapons program, Iranian opposition members made clear already in 2009 that they reject it. Back then slogans had been chanted like: „A blooming and green Iran doesn’t need nuclear weapons.“

A regime change to a democratic Iran is the only solution to the nuclear controversy with Iran, as well as a warranty for peace and democracy in the region.

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xi3Q2b0AmkY#!

[2] On diplomatic initiatives compare STOP THE BOMB press release of December 5, 2011. http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/press/press-releases.html#c2185. On cultural initiatives see Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, Kaderschmiede der Diktatur, 24.8.2012, http://jungle-world.com/von-tunis-nach-teheran/1832/

The Islamic Republic of Iran is straight on its way to the bomb

STOP THE BOMB criticizes Western naiveté in face of Iran's strategic deception and delay tactics before the nuclear talks in Moscow

STOP THE BOMB press release, June 17, 2012

With appendix: How Iran enriches uranium for seven bombs and takes further steps towards the bomb

The third round of the latest nuclear talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the P5+1 group will take place next Monday and Tuesday in Moscow. Until now, the talks follow a well-known dramaturgy: After “very constructive” talks in a “positive atmosphere” at the first round in Istanbul in April (1) now suddenly “difficulties” arise. (2)

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle comments: „The Iranian regime again succeeded in winning precious time for its nuclear program without giving anything in return. In face of the foreseeable Iranian tactical maneuvers at the talks in Moscow, it is now crucial to let the decided European oil sanctions really come into effect on the beginning of July, and not to delay or water them just because of some vague promises by the regime. The fatal combination of Western naiveté and Iranian negotiations skills has only brought the regime closer to the bomb.”

The goal of the Iranian regime is the watering of the sanctions, reported the New York Times with reference to Iranian officials in the middle of May. (3)

Typical for the Iranian negotiating tactic and Western credulity is a recent Financial Times Germany interview with the Iranian ambassador in Germany, the Revolutionary Guards man (4) Ali Reza Sheikh Attar, who under the headline “Iran’s U-turn in the nuclear conflict” was quoted on the FTD front page saying that Iran was ready to give up enriching uranium to 20%. Only a short time later, the Iranian embassy denied this statement in Persian, but the German press did not pick this up. (5) In case Iran should promise to give up 20% enrichment, this would probably remain only empty words.

Hardly noticed, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had a personal meeting with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi at the Afghanistan conference in Kabul. (6) According to Der Spiegel Westerwelle wanted to talk with Salehi about Syria (7), and win the Islamic Republic as a partner for conflict solution. (8) This again looks like a dangerously wrong assessment of the Iranian role: The regime is not interested in a peaceful solution in Syria. It wants to maintain its own influence there in case Assad will not be able to stay in power, despite the massive Iranian support for the Syrian dictator.  The same is true for Afghanistan, where the Iranian goal is not “stability”, but the increase of its own influence, according to reports especially in the important education sector. Instead of warning against the problematic Iranian influence in Afghanistan (10), Westerwelle “explicitly welcomed” Salehi’s participation by simply arguing that Iran is a neighboring country. (11) “The role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Syria and Afghanistan is not ‘constructive’, but diametrically opposed to a positive development in these countries. It is to be feared that the regime will successfully use this as a bargaining chip at the nuclear talks”, concludes Weckerle.

Appendix: How Iran enriches uranium for seven bombs and takes further steps towards the nuclear  bomb

The UN Security Council resolution 1696 from July 31, 2006, demands that Iran suspends "all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development”. (12) The UN Security Council resolutions 1737 (December 2006), 1747 (March 2007), 1803 (March 2008) and 1929 (June 2010) reasserted this demand. (13)

Since then, the Islamic Republic systematically continued its nuclear program, including uranium enrichment, and violated the UN resolutions and the Non-Proliferation Treaty:

• According to IAEA estimations, the Islamic Republic began in 2006 with secretly building the underground enrichment facility in Fordow. The facility was uncovered in September 2009 by Western intelligence. Uranium is enriched there to nearly 20%. Recently, the IAEA found traces of uranium enriched to 27%. (14)

• According to information of the long-time former IAEA chief inspector Olli Heinonen Iran has now six tons of uranium enriched to 3.5%. This means 75% of the effort to get the 90% enriched uranium needed for nuclear weapons. Additionally the regime now has 150 kg of 20% enriched uranium, meaning 90% of the effort for weapons grade enrichment. The expert estimates that Iran will have enough enriched material for the production of seven nuclear bombs at the end of the year. He stressed that Iran has improved its enrichment capabilities and that a breakout towards high enrichment probably could only be discovered after several months. (15)

• There are increasing signs in recent time that Iran is undertaking further steps besides enrichment to get a nuclear weapons capacity. The “National Council of Resistance of Iran” provided extensive documents in May 2012 that should prove intensive work on a nuclear warhead. (16) In May 2012 a graphic, which experts rated as authentic, reinforced IAEA suspicions of a test chamber for explosive devices at the military facility in Parchin. (17) Iran until now refuses to give plausible explanations and inspection of the facility. Satellite images show that extensive cleaning and demolition works were done in Parchin, possibly to destroy evidence. (18) In the state controlled Iranian media texts appear that openly discuss the need for nuclear weapons. (19) Otherwise, the alleged fatwa by Khamenei that allegedly condemns the possession of nuclear weapons does not appear in Khamenei's written collections of fatwas and its authenticity is questioned by many experts. (20)

Find this press declaration online: de.stopthebomb.net/en/press/press-releases.html#c2403

(1) http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/201241413380257430.html

(2) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303665904577454711361541798.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

(3) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/world/middleeast/iran-sees-success-in-stalling-on-nuclear-issue.html?_r=1 , siehe auch http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0510/Iran-nuclear-talks-Are-sanctions-on-the-table

(4) http://jungle-world.com/artikel/2009/23/35188.html

(5) http://jungle-world.com/von-tunis-nach-teheran/1700/

(6) http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Aussenpolitik/RegionaleSchwerpunkte/AfghanistanZentralasien/AktuelleArtikel/120614-Konferenz-Kabul-node.html

(7) http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/afghanistan-westerwelle-will-von-russland-und-china-mehr-engagement-a-838771.html

(8) http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/iran-rueckt-von-syrien-ab-a-838195.html

(9) http://www.welt.de/106591658

(10) http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2010-08/afghanistan-iran-3

(11) See footnote 6.

(12) http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8792.doc.htm

(13) For a chronology of the nuclear conflict see: https://zeitschrift-ip.dgap.org/de/ip-die-zeitschrift/archiv/jahrgang-2012/mai-juni/chronologie-der-verhandlungen-um-das-iranische

(14) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16470100)

(15) http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/05/31/irans_growing_stockpile?page=full

(16) http://www.welt.de/106287938

(17) http://www.timesofisrael.com/leaked-graphic-reveals-iranian-nuclear-arms-program/

(18) http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/further-activity-at-suspected-parchin-explosive-testing-complex-two-small-b/

(19) http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/764910/KhameneiBerater_Islamische-Welt-braucht-Atombombe and www.farsnews.com/newstext.php

(20) See jungle-world.com/von-tunis-nach-teheran/1679/ and http://www.essikhan.com/2012/06/note-on-ayatollah-khameneis-so-called.html

German Parliament snubs Iranian Human Rights Delegation

Pan-European call for P5+1 to not tolerate Iranian delaying tactics on nuclear issue.

Policymakers, prominents and STOP THE BOMB demand determined action against Iranian nuclear program

STOP THE BOMB, the European coalition for a nuclear-free and democratic Iran, which was founded in 2007 in Austria, published today a common statement by European policymakers and prominent public figures to warn about the danger of a weak compromise with the Iranian regime ahead of the nuclear talks in Baghdad. The joint statement that was signed by former head of British forces in Afghanistan Richard Kemp, former Foreign Minister of Spain Ana Palacio, Nobel Prize Laureate Elfriede Jelinek, former Dutch Minister of Interior Bram Peper, Beate Klarsfeld, former foreign policy Spokesman of the German SPD Gert Weisskirchen and others, reads as follows:

"On the eve of the upcoming talks between the P5+1 and Iran in Baghdad, we, the undersigned, together with the European STOP THE BOMB coalition urge policymakers in the European Union and the United States to be united and determined in our prevention of an Iranian nuclear bomb.

Western Governments must not tolerate Iranian tactics to obstruct progress and impede decisive international action. It is imperative that the P5+1 enforce the demands of the international community that Iran suspends all of its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, as prescribed in UN Security Council Resolution 1696.

Additionally, the European Union must not allow any delay with the implementation of the oil embargo, as well as the ship insurance ban. Western Governments must work to increase the political and economic pressure placed on the Iranian regime and should extend greater support to the Iranian secular and democratic opposition."

The spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB, Simone Dinah Hartmann, adds: “The numerous details of the Iranian nuclear weapons program that were published by an Iranian opposition group, particularly in regards to the feverish development of a nuclear warhead, demonstrate once more the severity of this situation.”

Pan-European Call

On the eve of the upcoming talks between the P5+1 and Iran in Baghdad, we, the undersigned, together with the European STOP THE BOMB coalition urge policymakers in the European Union and the United States to be united and determined in our prevention of an Iranian nuclear bomb. Western Governments must not tolerate Iranian tactics to obstruct progress and impede decisive international action. It is imperative that the P5+1 enforce the demands of the international community that Iran suspends all of its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, as prescribed in UN Security Council Resolution 1696. Additionally, the European Union must not allow any delay with the implementation of the oil embargo, as well as the ship insurance ban. Western Governments must work to increase the political and economic pressure placed on the Iranian regime and should extend greater support to the Iranian secular and democratic opposition.

Signatories:

Baroness Caroline Cox, cross-bench Member of the House of Lords. Founder and CEO of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)

Baroness Ruth Deech, Chair of the Bar Standards Board and former Principal of St Anne's College, Oxford

Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British Forces in Afghanistan

Ana Palacio, former Foreign Minister of Spain and a current Member of the State of Council of Spain

Luuk Blom, former Chairman of Defence Committee, Dutch Parliament – Dutch Labor Party, PVDA

Henk de Haan, former Dutch chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee – Christian Democratic Appeal, CDA, Netherlands

Bram Peper, former Dutch Minister of Interior – Dutch Labor Party, PVDA

Florus Wijsenbeek, former Dutch member of European Parliament – Dutch Liberal Party, VVD

Beate Klarsfeld, Association of the sons and daughters of Jews deported from France (FFDJF)

Rudolf Dressler, former German Ambassador to Israel, Social Democratic Party Germany (SPD)

Prof. Gert Weisskirchen, former Foreign Policy Spokesman of the Social Democratic parliamentary group (SPD) of the German Bundestag

Petra Bayr, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Austrian Parlament - Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ)

Efgani Dönmez, Member of the Federal Parlament - The Greens, Austria

Elfriede Jelinek, Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature

Marco Schreuder, Member of the Federal Parlament - The Greens, Austria

Death-Fatwa: STOP THE BOMB demands the protection of the singer Shahin Najafi and the closure of the Iranian Embassy in Germany

STOP THE BOMB Press Declaration, May 13th, 2012 (corrected version)

State-controlled Iranian media like Day News are calling upon the international Muslim community to murder Shahin Najafi, an Iranian singer living in Cologne, the online news agency Shia online even put a bounty of $ 100,000 on his head. [1]

The media referred to a death fatwa, issued by the Iranian Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani in April. [2] The decree demands that not only Shiites, but also other Muslims kill the convict.

The death fatwa proves that the Iranian regime tries to enforce the Islamic law internationally. The German Federal government has not commented publicly on the case, German authorities have instead suggested that the singer who is living in Cologne should leave Germany. [3]
 
Ulrike Becker of the coalition STOP THE BOMB said: "The silence of government officials is a scandal. Berlin must condemn the death-fatwa unequivocally and publicly. It is absolutely unacceptable that German authorities suggest that a critic of the Iranian dictatorship should leave the Federal Republic. The German Federal government should follow the example of Great Britain and expel all Iranian diplomats in order to protect Shahin Najafi and other critics of the regime."
 
The murder of three Kurdish opposition leaders and an interpreter in September 1992 in Berlin's Mykonos restaurant proved that the Iranian regime does not hesitate in murdering its critics in Germany. A incomplete list of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre shows that the regime has murdered at least 162 Iranians critical of the government abroad. [4] The Iranian embassies have repeatedly served as the nerve centers of terror.
 
Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani, who has pronounced the death fatwa, is a confidant of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This suggests that this call to murder Najafi was made with the consent of the regime. This fatwa therefore has to be taken as seriously as the fatwa against Salman Rushdie in 1989, or the fatwa against the Azerbaijani journalist Rafiq Tagi, who was murdered in 2011, following a death fatwa by Iranian Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani.[5]
 
When Ayatollah Khomeini demanded the murder of British author Salman Rushdie the German parliament rightly declared that this fatwa was "a declaration of war against our laws and values ​​system, as well as against the universal principles of the Charter of the United Nations". [6] This assessment is also true for the order to murder Shahin Najafi.

"With its silence the Federal Government is suggesting that it will accept this 'declaration of war against our laws and value systems', in order not to burden the forthcoming nuclear talks in Baghdad. In this way the government is encouraging the captors of the regime. The federal government must not give in to Islamist terror neither in the nuclear weapons issue, nor with respect to its duty to protect Iranians living here in exile", says Ulrike Becker.
  
STOP THE BOMB is not only demanding the closure of diplomatic missions of the Iranian regime but also an immediate ban of Hezbollah, because the Islamist organization serves as a henchman to the Iranian regime. [7]
 
 
 
[1] http://jungle-world.com/von-tunis-nach-teheran/1681/,  http://farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13910220001285

[2] According to Wahied Wahdat-Hagh the agency Daynews published the fatwa of the Grand Ayatollah as follows: There is a question to Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani, as it is characteristic in a fatwa: "In the name of God. For some time a few mercenaries who mainly belong to the counter-revolution abroad, are offending our innocent Imam Hadi on the Internet and their websites, their blogs. They are rude (with jokes, cartoons, insults, lies, etc ...), what is the verdict against these people? The answer of the Grand Ayatollah is: If they have hurt and insulted the Imam, they are apostates."
 
[3] http://www.taz.de/Todesdrohungen-gegen-iranischen-Musiker/!93251/
 
[4] See Iran Human Rights Documentation Center: "Iran's Global Assassination Campaign" (May 2008), p. 67-76. This list is not intended to be exhaustive – it contains only those names for which credible citations can be found. See also: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center: Condemned by Law: Assassination of Political Dissidents Abroad.
See also: http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/media/panorama358.html

[5] http://derstandard.at/1319183875174/Journalist-nach-Angriff-gestorben
 
[6] Federal Printed Matter 11/4057 of 22 February 1989, quoted in Matthias Küntzel: The Germans and Iran. History and present of a fateful friendship, Berlin 2009, p. 179.

[7] See for example: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center: Murder at Mykonos: Anatomy of a Political Assassination, and Florian Markl: The long arm of the mullahs. Iranian terror from Beirut to Buenos Aires, in: Stephan Grigat, Simone Hartmann (ed.): Der Iran. Analyse einer islamischen Diktatur und ihrer europäischen Förderer, Vienna 2008, pp. 128-146.

Death-Fatwa: STOP THE BOMB demands the protection of the singer Shahin Najafi and the closure of the Iranian Embassy in Germany

STOP THE BOMB Press Declaration, May 13th, 2012 (corrected version)

State-controlled Iranian media like Day News are calling upon the international Muslim community to murder Shahin Najafi, an Iranian singer living in Cologne, the online news agency Shia online even put a bounty of $ 100,000 on his head. [1]

The media referred to a death fatwa, issued by the Iranian Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani in April. [2] The decree demands that not only Shiites, but also other Muslims kill the convict.

The death fatwa proves that the Iranian regime tries to enforce the Islamic law internationally. The German Federal government has not commented publicly on the case, German authorities have instead suggested that the singer who is living in Cologne should leave Germany. [3]
 
Ulrike Becker of the coalition STOP THE BOMB said: "The silence of government officials is a scandal. Berlin must condemn the death-fatwa unequivocally and publicly. It is absolutely unacceptable that German authorities suggest that a critic of the Iranian dictatorship should leave the Federal Republic. The German Federal government should follow the example of Great Britain and expel all Iranian diplomats in order to protect Shahin Najafi and other critics of the regime."
 
The murder of three Kurdish opposition leaders and an interpreter in September 1992 in Berlin's Mykonos restaurant proved that the Iranian regime does not hesitate in murdering its critics in Germany. A incomplete list of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre shows that the regime has murdered at least 162 Iranians critical of the government abroad. [4] The Iranian embassies have repeatedly served as the nerve centers of terror.
 
Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani, who has pronounced the death fatwa, is a confidant of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This suggests that this call to murder Najafi was made with the consent of the regime. This fatwa therefore has to be taken as seriously as the fatwa against Salman Rushdie in 1989, or the fatwa against the Azerbaijani journalist Rafiq Tagi, who was murdered in 2011, following a death fatwa by Iranian Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani.[5]
 
When Ayatollah Khomeini demanded the murder of British author Salman Rushdie the German parliament rightly declared that this fatwa was "a declaration of war against our laws and values ​​system, as well as against the universal principles of the Charter of the United Nations". [6] This assessment is also true for the order to murder Shahin Najafi.

"With its silence the Federal Government is suggesting that it will accept this 'declaration of war against our laws and value systems', in order not to burden the forthcoming nuclear talks in Baghdad. In this way the government is encouraging the captors of the regime. The federal government must not give in to Islamist terror neither in the nuclear weapons issue, nor with respect to its duty to protect Iranians living here in exile", says Ulrike Becker.
  
STOP THE BOMB is not only demanding the closure of diplomatic missions of the Iranian regime but also an immediate ban of Hezbollah, because the Islamist organization serves as a henchman to the Iranian regime. [7]
 
 
 
[1] http://jungle-world.com/von-tunis-nach-teheran/1681/,  http://farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13910220001285

[2] According to Wahied Wahdat-Hagh the agency Daynews published the fatwa of the Grand Ayatollah as follows: There is a question to Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani, as it is characteristic in a fatwa: "In the name of God. For some time a few mercenaries who mainly belong to the counter-revolution abroad, are offending our innocent Imam Hadi on the Internet and their websites, their blogs. They are rude (with jokes, cartoons, insults, lies, etc ...), what is the verdict against these people? The answer of the Grand Ayatollah is: If they have hurt and insulted the Imam, they are apostates."
 
[3] http://www.taz.de/Todesdrohungen-gegen-iranischen-Musiker/!93251/
 
[4] See Iran Human Rights Documentation Center: "Iran's Global Assassination Campaign" (May 2008), p. 67-76. This list is not intended to be exhaustive – it contains only those names for which credible citations can be found. See also: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center: Condemned by Law: Assassination of Political Dissidents Abroad.
See also: http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/media/panorama358.html

[5] http://derstandard.at/1319183875174/Journalist-nach-Angriff-gestorben
 
[6] Federal Printed Matter 11/4057 of 22 February 1989, quoted in Matthias Küntzel: The Germans and Iran. History and present of a fateful friendship, Berlin 2009, p. 179.

[7] See for example: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center: Murder at Mykonos: Anatomy of a Political Assassination, and Florian Markl: The long arm of the mullahs. Iranian terror from Beirut to Buenos Aires, in: Stephan Grigat, Simone Hartmann (ed.): Der Iran. Analyse einer islamischen Diktatur und ihrer europäischen Förderer, Vienna 2008, pp. 128-146.

German companies at the Teheran trade fair „Iran Oil Show“ - Participation fee must be paid to sanctioned Iranian bank

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, April 19, 2012

Currently the four-day trade show „Iran Oil Show 2012 – 17. International Oil, Gas, Refining, and Petrochemical Exhibition“ is taking place in Teheran. Numerous German companies are participating; presenting their technology for the sanctioned Iranian energy sector. [1]

Key technology for Iran's energy sector is sanctioned since July 2010. The non-governmental organization STOP THE BOMB calls on the responsible authorities in Germany to actively look into the business deals of these companies.

Through participation at the exhibition, companies cooperate with the Iranian regime and with sanctioned companies. The exhibition is organized by the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum. The participating companies must pay the stand fees to an account of Iran's Bank Mellat, which is sanctioned by the EU and the USA. [2] An extract from the EU legislation regarding Bank Mellat from October, 2011 says: “The conduct of Bank Mellat fosters and relieves Iran's nuclear program and Iran's program for ballistic missiles.“ [3] Also, Iranian companies such as Khatam Ol Anbia, which belongs to the sanctioned Revolutionary Guards, uses the exhibition to cultivate business contacts.

Among the German companies that have confirmed their participation at the Iran Oil Show to STOP THE BOMB are Bopp & Reuther, Helmke, Hova and Schauenburg. The companies Herrenknecht and Pepperl + Fuchs are also present at the Iran Oil Show, according to exhibition's homepage. [4]

The range of products of the German companies include all kinds of products for the energy sector, including pumps, pipes and construction machines and specialized measuring instruments.

In April 2011, STOP THE BOMB had compiled a list of German companies which took part at the Iran Oil Show in Teheran last year. [5]

Deals in the Iranian energy sector support the Iranian regime. The German companies that are active in this sector are therefore responsible for the fact that the regime can go on with its policy of human rights violations, its nuclear program and the export of terror against the will of the Iranian people and in spite of massive protests against the regime. Revenues from the energy sector made up nearly 50% of the state budget and 80% of the export income in 2009/2010. [6] The biggest part of the Iranian energy sector is state owned. [7] Business partners in Iran are mostly companies connected to the economic empire of the Revolutionary Guards, who run the majority of the projects in the energy sector. [8] The Revolutionary Guards are on the US terror list and since July 2010 also on the EU sanctions list. 

[1] http://www.iranoilshow.org/wwwen/index.aspx
[2] http://www.iranoilshow.org/wwwen/about_us.aspx
[3] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:281:FULL:DE:PDF (S. 67.)
[4] http://www.iranoilshow.org/wwwen/hall_view.aspx
[5] http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/d-iran/iran-oil-show-2011.html
[6] Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Annual Review 1388 (2009 / 2010), S. 15 u. 18. (http://www.cbi.ir/page/7575.aspx)
[7] List of companies that are subordinate to the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum: http://www.iranoilgas.com/companies/whoiswho
[8] RAND Coorporation, The Rise of the Pasdaran, 2009, S. 59ff. http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG821.pdf

Pressure of sanctions on Iran must not be decreased after unsuccessful nuclear talks

Former IAEA expert warns against “fatal bargain” with Iran

STOP THE BOMB press release, April 16, 2012

The mostly optimistic comments on the nuclear talks in Istanbul between Iran and the international 5+1 group is inappropriate, says Jonathan Weckerle, spokesperson of the campaign STOP THE BOMB: “Until now, the Iranian regime is the winning party, because it gained valuable time until the next round of talks, without giving anything in return. The pressure of international sanctions, concluded after hard efforts , mustn’t be lowered just because of some allegedly positive signals. Instead, Tehran must be confronted with clear demands and increasing sanctions pressure. This is the only way that could lead to a non-military solution of the nuclear issue.”

Reports about the alleged “positive signals” from the Iranian delegation to the 5+1 group stand in sharp contrast to the unyielding positions that the Iranian elite communicates via regime media to the Iranian public. (1)

Furthermore, the former IAEA chief inspector Olli Heinonen warns of a “fatal bargain” with Iran, where the regime would still have the breakout capacity towards a nuclear bomb. The expert specifically pointed out that any uranium enrichment would be dangerous, unnecessary for the allegedly peaceful aims of the regime. Even enrichment to 3.5% means that 75% of the effort you need to get highly enriched Uranium for a bomb is already done. Furthermore, today’s technology allows the construction and operation of enrichment facilities in inconspicuous buildings, as the example North Korea shows. (2) The Israeli intelligence services expert Ronen Bergman recently warned in the New York Times not to rely on intelligence information to timely detect Iranian breakout efforts towards a bomb. (3) The Iranian regime must prove comprehensibly that it gives up all components of it’s nuclear weapons program.

A recent article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Fereydun Abbasi-Davani in 2003 oversaw a test for the development of an ignition device for nuclear weapons. So from the start, the Iranian nuclear program had a non-civilian character. (4)

„Even when an acceptable solution for the nuclear issue should be reached via pressure and negotiations, this wouldn’t change the dangerous and inhuman character of the Iranian regime. The freedom yearning Iranian people must not betrayed for an unstable deal with the illegitimate Iranian rulers. Iranian human rights violations should be sanctioned consequently and democratic forces should be supported”, says Jonathan Weckerle. (5)

Meanwhile, the German “business as usual” with Iran continues. STOP THE BOMB researchers discovered that many German companies will offer their products in Tehran at the “12. Iran Oil Show”, a trade show for the energy sector that starts on April 17. 2012 (6) „German-Iranian business is still openly promoted in Iran and Germany, especially the Iranian energy sector is provided with German technology, while the German export control agencies are neither willing nor able to stop this”, concludes Jonathan Weckerle.

(1) http://www.irandailybrief.com/?p=6896

 (2) http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=3474

(3) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/12/opinion/beware-of-faulty-intelligence.html

(4) http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/neue-vorwuerfe-im-nuklear-streit-iran-soll-zuender-fuer-atombombe-getestet-haben-1.1332391

 (5) See also this commentary by Iran expert Patrick Clawson: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/13/obama_iran_green_movement

(6) http://www.iranoilshow.org

Iran calls for March to Jerusalem

Left Party, Sunni Islamists and the Iranian regime collaborate against Israel

STOP THE BOMB press release, March 30, 2012

Today's “Global March to Jerusalem” is part of a growing campaign to delegitimize and isolate Israel, which includes the Gaza flotillas or boycott campaigns. (1) Until recently, these activities have been mainly organized by an international network of Palestinian organizations, the Muslim Brotherhood and leftist anti-Zionist groups. The March to Jerusalem is the first event that has the open and substantial support of the Iranian regime. This underlines the Islamist and anti-Semitic goals of the March and gives him a new, dangerous quality.

As a caravan that is part of the march, arriving in Tehran on March 17, they met among others the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He said at this occasion that “the existence of Israel is illegal, and be it only on one inch of Palestinian soil”. (2) Even when wide parts of the organizations that participate at the March share this view, there are reports about tensions within the coalition. Some Palestinian organizations fear that the pro-Iranian participants of the march will act very violently. (3)

In Germany, members of the Left Party are again collaborating with anti-Semitic and Islamist forces. On the supporters list of the March are MP Annette Groth, the former foreign policy spokesperson of the Left Party Norman Paech as well as Jürgen Aust, board member of the Left Party in North Rhine-Westphalia. (4)

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney comments: “Parts of the Left Party and anyone else participating in the March to Jerusalem are collaborating with the Iranian regime in the struggle against Israel. They collaborate with a regime that is responsible for mass executions and grave human rights violations, that has a president who just recently denied the Holocaust on German Television and that strives for nuclear weapons. The reference to human rights and non-violence by the marchers and their supporters thus loses any credibility.”

The protest against the alleged “Judaization” of Jerusalem is sheer cynicism coming from a regime that systematically discriminates and persecutes religious minorities. The small remaining Jewish community in Iran has been coerced to support the march and to distance themselves from Israel. (5) Adjacent to oppressing the Iranian Jews, the regime of the Islamic Republic especially threatens and persecutes Baha’i and Christians, often with the accusation of being “Zionist agents”.

The political and military support for Assad’s bloody crackdown on the uprising in Syria has earned the Iranian regime the hate of the Arab-Sunni world. The support of the March to Jerusalem is thus also a doomed attempt to regain sympathy and to distract from the enormous problems that confront the regime. Those include the effects of the massively tightened economic sanctions and the discontent of the Iranian population, which in great parts rejects the regime.

More and updated information about the march is available here: http://gm2j.co/

(1) http://tinyurl.com/bqw2m49

(2) http://jungle-world.com/von-tunis-nach-teheran/1592/ (German)

(3) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/organizers-fear-palestinian-land-day-protests-could-turn-violent-1.421134

(4) http://www.jerusalem-marsch.de/unterstuetzer.html

(5) http://www.debka.com/article/21856/

On the day of the unfree „elections“ in Iran: „Sanctions Seminar“ in Hamburg supports German companies with new Iran business

STOP THE BOMB press release, March 1, 2012

On Friday, March 2, the German-Iranian Trade Chamber in Hamburg invites to the “Sanctions Seminar 2012”, where German companies will be advised in doing new Iran business despite sanctions. (1)

Speaker Dr. Harald Hohmann is announced as a „leading name for export control law“. The character of this seminar gets clear by looking at reports about similar events. There Dr. Hohmann proposed to the export willing companies to “on the one hand abide to the law, and on the other hand to exploit legal leeway.” (2) He also told the exporters that even business with Iranian companies that are “under control of a listed company” can be legally enforced against the authorities.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle comments: „Such seminars for Iran business support German companies in exploiting every breach in the sanctions and their implementation. In face of the escalating conflict with the nuclear program and the massive human rights violations ahead of the unfree parliamentary elections, this is nothing less than unscrupulous collaboration with the regime in Tehran. German companies once more undermine international sanctions efforts.”

The advice offered at such seminars fits to the ongoing case of Hansa Group AG, which mediated deliveries for a big energy project of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, while German export control authorities remained inactive.” (3)

It is especially cynical to hold this seminar on the day of the unfree parliamentary elections in Iran, which will set new standards in manipulation even for the Islamist dictatorship, and which are accompanied by a horrible wave of executions, arbitrary imprisonments, censorship and incitement.” (5)

(1) http://www.dihkev.de/de/100619-Sanktions-Seminar-2012

(2) http://www.exportmanager-online.de/archiv/31/roundtable-iran-embargo

(3 ) http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/d-iran/hansa.html

(4) http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/27/the_fix_is_in?page=full

(5) http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/iran-new-report-finds-surge-repression-dissent-2012-02-28-0

Strong criticism for head of Munich Security Conference: "A Nuclear Iran must not be accepted!”

Will Germany again undermine new EU sanctions against Iranian regime?

Press release STOP THE BOMB:  January 23rd, 2012

Today's Iran sanctions concluded by the European Union increase the pressure on Germany to finally comply fully to existing export control measures.

The import ban on Iranian oil - despite fully coming into effect as on July 1st - is an important step to restrict the main financial source of the Iranian regime.
Oil and gas revenues form 50% of the Iranian state budget and 80% of Iran's export gains. Also according to US sources, Iran sells sanctioned Syrian oil and therefore supports the murderous fight of the Assad regime against the Syrian opposition.[1]

In Germany there is a growing scandal over the Iran business of the German company Hansa Group AG. Jonathan Weckerle, the spokesman of the STOP THE BOMB campaign, an NGO which is active against Iran's nuclear program, explains: "The German administration neither is willing nor is capable of effectively controlling Iran sanctions. Shipments of more than 150 Million Euros have been approved by the German export control office BAFA, although the involvement of a covert Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) company had became evident."[2] The IRGC have already been sanctioned by the EU.

"German companies and administrative offices have jointly cooperated in undermining international sanctions efforts. The standpoint of BAFA to see the responsibilty to adhere to sanctions solely with the exporting companies means in practice to open the floodgates to breach sanctions and to put the fox in charge of the henhouse" so Weckerle.

According to recent media reports the BAFA (Bundeamt für Wirtschaft und Exportkontrolle) still has no Iran expert among its employees [3], and 2011 German export of dual-use goods with a possible military utilization has even increased in comparison to the previous year. [4]

The prospect of newly promised negotiations with Iran over the nuclear program should not lead to a delay or a reduction of sanctions, as Tehran could possibly demand as a precondition and a sign of goodwill. [5]

"The Iranian regime again and again has used negotiations and diplomatic initiatives as delaying tactics to avoid more pressure and to win time to advance its nuclear program" so Weckerle for the STOP THE BOMB campaign.


[1] online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203735304577169191656832540.html
[2] Alle Informationen dazu finden Sie hier: de.stopthebomb.net/de/d-iran/hansa.html
[3] www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15678959,00.html
[4] www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/die-iran-connection/6072186.html
[5] www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx

German export control agency BAFA for months approved Iran deals despite warnings

STOP THE BOMB press release, December 21, 2011

The German Export Control Agency (BAFA) approved exports for the development of the South Pars gas field, a project of the sanctioned Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The agency ignored warnings about Iranian front companies. STOP THE BOMB publishes the correspondence with the export control agency and is calling for the dismissal of its president Dr. Arnold Wallraff.

The Wall Street Journal reported on December 17, 2011, that the German Hansa Group AG since June 2010 brokered exports for the Iranian energy sector worth 150 Million Euros. Iranian partner was the Iranian company PetroKish, established in April 2010, which assumed the contracts and personal of Sepanir, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) company sanctioned by the UN in June 2010. Thus, the deals and technology deliveries for the Iranian projects could continue seamlessly. [1] The deals with PetroKish have been approved by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), but according to documents leaked to STOP THE BOMB by an informant, the BAFA had for over half a year clear signs for a German-Iranian deception maneuver in order to circumvent sanctions.

Already on May 26, 2011, the BAFA received an export application by the Minimax GmbH & Co. KG, which included documents with the logos of the sanctioned IRGC companies Sepanir and Khatam al-Anbia. On July 14, 2011, STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle informed the BAFA about evidences that PetroKish was an IRGC front company. On August 8, 2011, STOP THE BOMB sent documents to the BAFA with clear evidence for the likely roles of Hansa Group AG as intermediary, of PetroKish as Iranian front company and of Sepanir and Khatam al-Anbia as Iranian business partners. The BAFA was, among other things, asked to check the documents and to hitherto stop all deals that involved the Hansa Group AG. The BAFA answered that the documents were “currently checked”, but, as the Wall Street Journal reports, continued to approve the exports. [2]

Until today, we know of no steps by the BAFA to legally binding stop the deliveries to PetroKish and to cancel the export permissions. The BAFA until now declines to comment on the case. The Wall Street Journal only mentioned a “request” by BAFA to the Hansa Group AG, asking for a stop of the deliveries to PetroKish, referring to informal deliberations about future Iran sanctions at the EU minister meeting on December 1, 2011.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle comments: “Companies that greedily seek and use every opportunity to circumvent sanctions, officials that close both eyes despite clearest evidence for deception maneuvers and until today have failed to draw clear consequences – this is how Germany acts in face of the nuclear armament of the Islamist and anti-Semitic dictatorship in Iran. The German Sonderweg [special path] to block Western Iran sanctions is thus not only taken on the diplomatic scene, but also on the administrative level. Human rights in Iran, Israel’s security and the international anti-proliferation efforts are all subordinated to German export interests.” [3]

Hansa's trade with Iran known to STOP THE BOMB consists of deliveries for the development of the South Pars gasfield, the central project of the Iranian energy industry. The energy sector is of singular economic and political importance for the Iranian regime, and it is in great parts controlled and run by the sanctioned Revolutionary Guards. The energy sector is thus the focus of the international sanctions efforts. [4] As long as deliveries are not completely banned, they should have to undergo the sharpest controls by specialists. Jonathan Weckerle comments the policy of the BAFA as follows:

“The Federal Office of Export Control has for months approved export applications for well-known projects of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and thereby subverted international sanctions. When documents and explicit evidences for dangerous and illegal deals with Iran are ignored, one can no longer speak of incompetence. It is the German government’s responsibility to finally stop the circumvention of international sanctions against Iran by imposing a complete embargo on exports for the energy sector and by establishing an effective control system. STOP THE  BOMB calls for the dismissal of the responsible BAFA president Dr. Arnold Wallraff as well as investigations against the Hansa Group AG and its German business partners.”

[1] David Crawford, Sanctions Hit—and Miss—in German Trade With Iran, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 17, 2011.

[2] The correspondence with the BAFA is documented below. The documents leaked to STOP THE BOMB can be reviewed by journalists upon request.

[3] Two recent studies by Matthias Küntzel show how Germany blocks sanctions against the Central Bank of Iran:
http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/what-about-the-european-union
http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/sanktionen-gegen-teheran-warum-zaudert-die-europaeische-union (German)

[4] Find an overview of the role of the Revolutionary Guards in the Iranian energy sector here: http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/irans-energy-partners/
The deals are related to delivieries for the development of the phases 13, 15-16 and 22-24 of the South Pars gas field. In 2010, the sanctioned Revolutionary Guards business empire Khatam al-Anbia transferred the development of the phases 15 and 16 to the Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex Co (ISOICO) (http://www.payvand.com/news/11/mar/1019.html), a subcontractor of the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO) (http://www.iranwatch.org/suspect/records/Industrial-Development-and-Renovation.html), which is on the EU sanctions list. The phases 22-24 are being developed by Khatam al-Anbia. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hO8-2zc6BnKaP-2LaqMckSMDa1dg)

German export control agency BAFA for months approved Iran deals despite warnings

STOP THE BOMB press release, December 21, 2011

The German Export Control Agency (BAFA) approved exports for the development of the South Pars gas field, a project of the sanctioned Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The agency ignored warnings about Iranian front companies. STOP THE BOMB publishes the correspondence with the export control agency and is calling for the dismissal of its president Dr. Arnold Wallraff.

The Wall Street Journal reported on December 17, 2011, that the German Hansa Group AG since June 2010 brokered exports for the Iranian energy sector worth 150 Million Euros. Iranian partner was the Iranian company PetroKish, established in April 2010, which assumed the contracts and personal of Sepanir, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) company sanctioned by the UN in June 2010. Thus, the deals and technology deliveries for the Iranian projects could continue seamlessly. [1] The deals with PetroKish have been approved by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), but according to documents leaked to STOP THE BOMB by an informant, the BAFA had for over half a year clear signs for a German-Iranian deception maneuver in order to circumvent sanctions.

Already on May 26, 2011, the BAFA received an export application by the Minimax GmbH & Co. KG, which included documents with the logos of the sanctioned IRGC companies Sepanir and Khatam al-Anbia. On July 14, 2011, STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle informed the BAFA about evidences that PetroKish was an IRGC front company. On August 8, 2011, STOP THE BOMB sent documents to the BAFA with clear evidence for the likely roles of Hansa Group AG as intermediary, of PetroKish as Iranian front company and of Sepanir and Khatam al-Anbia as Iranian business partners. The BAFA was, among other things, asked to check the documents and to hitherto stop all deals that involved the Hansa Group AG. The BAFA answered that the documents were “currently checked”, but, as the Wall Street Journal reports, continued to approve the exports. [2]

Until today, we know of no steps by the BAFA to legally binding stop the deliveries to PetroKish and to cancel the export permissions. The BAFA until now declines to comment on the case. The Wall Street Journal only mentioned a “request” by BAFA to the Hansa Group AG, asking for a stop of the deliveries to PetroKish, referring to informal deliberations about future Iran sanctions at the EU minister meeting on December 1, 2011.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle comments: “Companies that greedily seek and use every opportunity to circumvent sanctions, officials that close both eyes despite clearest evidence for deception maneuvers and until today have failed to draw clear consequences – this is how Germany acts in face of the nuclear armament of the Islamist and anti-Semitic dictatorship in Iran. The German Sonderweg [special path] to block Western Iran sanctions is thus not only taken on the diplomatic scene, but also on the administrative level. Human rights in Iran, Israel’s security and the international anti-proliferation efforts are all subordinated to German export interests.” [3]

Hansa's trade with Iran known to STOP THE BOMB consists of deliveries for the development of the South Pars gasfield, the central project of the Iranian energy industry. The energy sector is of singular economic and political importance for the Iranian regime, and it is in great parts controlled and run by the sanctioned Revolutionary Guards. The energy sector is thus the focus of the international sanctions efforts. [4] As long as deliveries are not completely banned, they should have to undergo the sharpest controls by specialists. Jonathan Weckerle comments the policy of the BAFA as follows:

“The Federal Office of Export Control has for months approved export applications for well-known projects of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and thereby subverted international sanctions. When documents and explicit evidences for dangerous and illegal deals with Iran are ignored, one can no longer speak of incompetence. It is the German government’s responsibility to finally stop the circumvention of international sanctions against Iran by imposing a complete embargo on exports for the energy sector and by establishing an effective control system. STOP THE  BOMB calls for the dismissal of the responsible BAFA president Dr. Arnold Wallraff as well as investigations against the Hansa Group AG and its German business partners.”

[1] David Crawford, Sanctions Hit—and Miss—in German Trade With Iran, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 17, 2011.

[2] The correspondence with the BAFA is documented below. The documents leaked to STOP THE BOMB can be reviewed by journalists upon request.

[3] Two recent studies by Matthias Küntzel show how Germany blocks sanctions against the Central Bank of Iran:
http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/what-about-the-european-union
http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/sanktionen-gegen-teheran-warum-zaudert-die-europaeische-union (German)

[4] Find an overview of the role of the Revolutionary Guards in the Iranian energy sector here: http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/irans-energy-partners/
The deals are related to delivieries for the development of the phases 13, 15-16 and 22-24 of the South Pars gas field. In 2010, the sanctioned Revolutionary Guards business empire Khatam al-Anbia transferred the development of the phases 15 and 16 to the Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex Co (ISOICO) (http://www.payvand.com/news/11/mar/1019.html), a subcontractor of the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO) (http://www.iranwatch.org/suspect/records/Industrial-Development-and-Renovation.html), which is on the EU sanctions list. The phases 22-24 are being developed by Khatam al-Anbia. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hO8-2zc6BnKaP-2LaqMckSMDa1dg)

Iranian regime is being courted in Germany

Cooperation with Iran in Afghanistan is doomed to fail

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, December 5, 2011

The NGO STOP THE BOMB condemns the invitation of the Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi to Germany. The second international conference on Afghanistan ended in Bonn on Monday evening. The Federal Government had invited Salehi to Bonn under the assumption that the Islamic Republic of Iran could help to "create conditions for a free, secure and successful Afghanistan". [1]
 
The German government still relies on cooperation with Tehran in Afghanistan. STOP THE BOMB spokesman Michael Spaney says: "There are no common interests between the West and the Iranian Islamists, not even in Afghanistan. Neither the stabilization of the country nor the improvement of the human rights situation is possible as long as the Iranian regime has a considerable influence at the Hindu Kush. The strategy of co-operation with Iran in Afghanistan has failed."

Recent reports of ISAF's military intelligence services have demonstrated that the Iranian regime is cooperating with the Pakistani intelligence service ISI in arming and training the Taliban. The report states that the aim of the Iranian leadership is to control the fate of Afghanistan. To achieve this goal, Iranians are cooperating with Pakistan; both countries support the insurgents with training, weapons and money. [2]

While the German Federal government still relies on a double track policy of diplomacy and sanctions, Iran's leaders follow a policy of confrontation: The regime crushes any opposition. In foreign policy, it is working steadfastly on the atomic bomb and threatens Israel with annihilation. The incursion of the British embassy in Tehran and the plans to assassinate the Saudi ambassador on U.S. soil demonstrate how the regime systematically uses terrorist means in foreign policy.

Iranian foreign minister Salehi, a close confidant of Ahmadinejad, formerly was the head of Iran's nuclear program and Vice President of the Islamic Republic. In 2009 he was put on the sanction's list of the European Union. Michael Spaney comments: "The visit of Salehi to Germany is another slap in the face of the Iranian Freedom Movement. The federal government is once again betraying the opposition in courting Salehi. Now is the time for an immediate oil embargo and sanctions against Iran's central bank. A complete diplomatic boycott should follow. The German government should establish serious and close contacts with the Iranian opposition. The Iranian regime is destabilizing the entire region. Without a regime change in Iran there will be no stability in Afghanistan. "

[1] http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Aussenpolitik/RegionaleSchwerpunkte/AfghanistanZentralasien/Bonn_Konferenz_2011/111205-Konferenz-node.html

[2] www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,801521,00.html

After the embassy incursion: Germany must not block financial sanctions against Iran tomorrow

US expert: The Central Bank is Iran’s most important remaining connection to the international markets

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, November 30, 2011

On Thursday, December 1, the EU foreign ministers will meet to discuss further sanctions against Iran. There are reports that Germany wants to block sanctions against the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). By contrast, France supports sanctions against the CBI and the UK already adopted them on November 21, 2011. [1]

Avi Jorisch, former Policy Advisor at the US Treasury Department's office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, comments: „Germany must support the initiative of its Western allies to sanction the Central Bank of Iran. The CBI is Iran’s most important remaining connection to the international markets. Sanctioning it would greatly decrease the regime’s ability to acquire crucial financial and technological resources. Now is the time for a strong sign of international unity and determination against the global threat of a nuclear-armed Iranian regime.”

The oil sanctions supported by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle would be an important measure, but they must not be played out against sanctioning the CBI. Iran ranks only on place 14 of Germany’s oil suppliers [2], while Germany is still Iran’s most important Western trade partner and technology provider. Michael Spaney, spokesperson for the campaign STOP THE BOMB, adds: “It looks as if Germany still refrains from drastically increasing the pressure on the Iranian regime. Germany has still exported goods worth 2.3 billion Euros to Iran this year until September.”

Especially the outrageous storming of the British embassy in Tehran must be followed by a determined European reaction. The violent riots were obviously tolerated or initiated by the regime and were aimed against new sanctions. Any sign of weakness and disunity after this provocation would signal Tehran that violence works, and that it can continue not only with its nuclear program, but also with brutally oppressing the Iranian opposition and supporting international terrorism.

[1] http://www.welt.de/print/wams/politik/article13737433/Die-deutsche-Iran-Connection.html

[2] Until September Germany has imported oil worth roughly 339 million Euros from Iran in 2011. http://www.bafa.de/bafa/de/energie/mineraloel_rohoel/energieinfo_rohoel/2011/september.html

Iranian Anti-Semite in German Banks Foundation

STOP THE BOMB calls for the expulsion of anti-Semitic board member of the German Banks Foundation "Schloss Neuhardenberg"

STOP THE BOMB Press Release, 24 November 2011

The campaign STOP THE BOMB is calling on the Foundation Schloss Neuhardenberg, a foundation of a German trustee saving's bank association, to split up with its board of trustees member Mostofa Dolatyar, deputy foreign minister a.i. of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The representative of the Iranian regime attracted attention for his anti-Semitic remarks. Board of Trustee members of the Foundation Schloss Neuhardenberg include among others Matthias Platzeck (SPD), minister president of the Land Brandenburg, and Bernd Neumann, German federal commissioner for culture and media. [1]

In June 2010 Dolatyar told an Iranian news agency: "We hope that the prophecy of the Imam [Khomeini] regarding the downfall of this regime [Israel] will occur very soon and that we will be witnesses of it." [2]

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Michael Spaney says: An anti-Semite, who welcomes the annihilation of Israel, is simply out of place as a board member in a democratic foundation. As a representative of a regime that brutally oppresses the brave resistance of its people in their own country, Dolatyar should also be intolerable for a Foundation, which claims to work in an „ethical tradition“ of a „consistent, ethically justified resistance against dictatorial rogue regime.“ [3]

The Iranian regime suppresses dissidents, women, homosexuals, Baha'is and members of other religious groups, tortures and murders them. [4] It is official state policy to deny the Holocaust, to announce the destruction of Israel and to work on a nuclear weapons program. Moreover, the Iranian regime, whose defense minister himself is an internationally wanted terrorist [5], is the world's largest sponsor of terrorist groups.

In October, the Foundation Schloss Neuhardenberg had to cancel a planned meeting with Iranian Ambassador Alireza Sheikh Attar and the philosopher Rüdiger Safranski due to massive protests. [6] Sheikh Attar was, according to Iranian human rights groups personally involved in violent crime during his term as provincial governor and remains under suspicion of being the procurement activities for the Iranian nuclear program, as well as responsible for the surveillance and intimidation of dissident Iranian exiles. [7]

The protests against Dolatyar take place in a time when the emergence of the Iran-question splits the EU. [8] While Britain and France continue to restrict their business with Iran, Iranian lobby groups in Germany increased their promotion for the expansion of economic relations between Germany and Iran. In October an „expert discussion“ took place in Berlin with the Vice Minister for Economic Affairs of Iran in the premises of the German Foundation DGAP [9]. Recently a German-Iranian economic conference in cooperation with the largest Association of Medium-Sized Companies in Germany (BVMW) took place in Berlin as well. [10]

Michael Spaney: "The protests against Dolaytar's position in the board of trustees refer once again to the fact that the question of dealing with an anti-Semitic dictatorship can not only be solved alone by the federal government, it is a matter of all democratic institutions. Especially German democratic institutions should be aware of their responsibility towards anti-Semitism and dictatorship. The Foundation Schloss Neuhardenberg stands with its board of trustees for the legitimization and subsidy of the anti-Semitic Islamist dictatorship in Iran."

[1] http://www.schlossneuhardenberg.de/service/kontakt/kuratiorium_der_stiftung.html
[2] http://www.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1095347
[3] http://www.dsgv.de/de/gesellschaftliches-engagement/kunst-und-kultur/schloss-neuhardenberg.html
[4] http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=a%2F65%2F370&Lang=E
[5] http://www.europeandemocracy.org/media/european-media/iran-s-defence-minister-german.html
[6] http://www.digberlin.de/dig/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Pressemitteilung_Absage_Hafiztag-2.pdfPress Release of the Foundation Schloss Neuhardenberg regarding the cancellation of the event with Sheikh Attar and Rüdiger Safranski
[7] http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/attar.html#c1347
[8] http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/what-about-the-european-union
[9] http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/dgap.html
[10] http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/d-iran/eivent.html

Protests against the German Business Association BVMW and German-Iranian Business Congress in Berlin

Berlin, November 8, 2011

A conference to promote German-Iranian business relations took place under protests today in Berlin. The Congress with the title "Iranian Women Business Power" was attended by the Iranian ambassador Sheikh Attar. The event was promoted with the support of the Association of Medium-Sized Companies (BVMW).

The BVMW published a press release yesterday and rejected any responsibility for the event. The association claimed that the BVWM was neither the promoter nor the organizer of the conference. The European campaign STOP THE BOMB, which is directed against the Iranian nuclear program, criticizes the BVMW: "The press release of the BVMW is a shameful statement. The association does not act according to its responsibilities. The connections between the BVMW and the conference organizer EIVENT are very close and well documented. While the most recent IAEA report shows that the regime in Tehran is building the atomic bomb and is active in all essential areas of the construction of nuclear weapons, the German middle-sized companies with the BVMW at the top continues to expand its business with the Iranian regime. This is irresponsible, and German politicians must finally find an effective strategy to prevent its medium sized companies from supporting the Iranian regime." [1]

In a letter to the members of the political advisory council of the BVMW, STOP THE BOMB had urged the politicians to take steps to prevent the event. Members of the political board of the BVMW are Wolfgang Gerhard (Liberal Party FPD), Dagmar Wöhrl (Christian Democrats, CSU), Brigitte Zypries (Social Democrats, SPD) and Cem Özdemir (Green Party) and others.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center also issued a press release critical of the conference. "Every German politician who visited the congress violates the sanctions against the Iranian regime, which were established by Germany, the EU, the United States and the United Nations," the Center said.

Seminars such as this conference aim at promoting closer business ties with Iran, particularly in the energy sector, an area targeted by EU sanctions. This became evident in a recent event with the Iranian ambassador in Berlin, which took place at the German Foundation on Foreign Relations (DGAP). STOP THE BOMB had protested against this event, too.

About 40 people demonstrated at the conference in front of the Seminaris Hotel in Berlin and demanded tougher sanctions against Iran. STOP THE BOMB urged the Board and the Advisory Council of the BVMW to cut its ties to lobbyists like Mir Durandish and the organization EIVENT immediately and stop advertising business with Iran.

---------

[1] The newspaper of the BVMW called "Der Mittelstand" stated in its most recent edition 4.2011: "The BVMW and Iran's ambassador Ali Reza Sheikh Attar want to strengthen economic relations." Compare: www.eivent.de/pdf/bvmwanz1.pdf. The article also states: "The BVMW with four employees in its Tehran office supports interested companies with information and free initial consultation, explained Mir Durandish." EIVENT organizer Mir Durandish is speaking at various events for the promotion of business in Iran speaking for the BVMW, see for example an event in September 2011 in the German city Senftenberg www.bvmw-lausitz.de/de/veranstaltungen/2011/september/rh0709/info.html

German business alliance cooperates with Iranian regime, event covered as women empowerment

STOP THE BOMB press release November 4th, 2011

Next Tuesday the Seminaris Campus Hotel in Berlin will host the „Business Congress - Iranian Business Women Power” aimed at initiating new Iran business. [1]

The event is organized by the business association European-Iranian Ventures (EIVENT) in cooperation with the Federal Association of Mid Tier Business [Bundesverband mittelständiger Wirtschaft] (BVMW). [2] Among the members of it’s political board of advisers are the leading German politicians Wolfgang Gerhardt (FDP), Brigitte Zypries (SPD) and Cem Özdemir (Green Party).[3] The BVMW represents ca. 55.000 small and midsize companies and freelancers and calls itself the biggest organized force of the German mid tier business. A key figure for the promotion of Iran business is Mir Durandish, head of the Iranian representation of the BVMW. He also maintains close ties with EIVENT.[4]

„The congress is about initiating new German-Iranian business despite sanctions“, says Jonathan Weckerle, spokesman of the campaign STOP THE BOMB. „The propagandistic title ‚women-power‘ is used to whitewash the situation of women in the Islamic Republic and the ruthless business interests of German companies“, Weckerle continues.

The BVMW counters the international efforts to raise the pressure on the regime. Last week officials from the US treasury tried to convince European governments of sanctioning the Central Bank of Iran. [5]

The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Reza Sheikh Attar, is expected as a guest of honor at the congress. Attar is a confidant of Ahmadinejad, a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and a long time regime functionary. According to Iranian opposition circles, Attar during his time as governor of the provinces Kurdistan and West-Azerbaijan was personally responsible for the terror against the opposition. [6] The press reported that ambassador Attar is also involved in proliferation activities for the Iranian nuclear program. [7]

The exiled Iranian cultural scientist Nasrin Amirsedghi comments: „Using alleged achievements in womens’ rights to advertise this event is a humiliating mockery for the women in Iran. The Islamic Republic stands for coerced headscarves, gender apartheid and a legal system where women count only half. Iran does certainly not stand for ‘women power’.”

STOP THE BOMB will hold a protest rally against the congress on November 8th, 8.30 am, at the Seminaris Campus Hotel in Berlin, Takustr. 39.

[1] http://www.eivent.de/wp.html
[2] http://www.eivent.de/pdf/anmeldU.pdf
[3] http://www.bvmw.de/der-bvmw/politischer-beirat.html
[4] See Factsheet: http://de.stopthebomb.net/d-iran/eivent.html
[5] http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/usa-draengen-europa-zu-sanktionen-gegen-iran/5713620.html
[6] http://jungle-world.com/artikel/2009/23/35188.html
[7] http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/archiv/2009/panoramairan106.html

Cancel the visit to Iran by European parliamentarians!

STOP THE BOMB Europe, October 26, 2011

The chair of European Parliament's delegation for relations with Iran, Traja Cronberg (Green Party, Finland), has announced that a delegation consisting of five members of the European parliament will pay an official visit to Iran from October 30th to November 4th 2011. It is reported that the visit is a result of an initiative led by German MEP Kurt Lechner (CDU) and Barbara Lochbihler (former chair of European Parliament's delegation for relations with Iran, Green Party Germany). The European coalition STOP THE BOMB demands to cancel the trip and asks Jerzy Buzek as president of the European parliament to denounce the renewed courting of the Iranian regime, which has been already criticized by several EU parliamentarians.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Simone Dinah Hartmann opposes any steps that could be understood as support by the Iranian regime: "Instead of giving legitimacy to the Iranian regime by visiting them and offering dialogue - a legitimacy which the regime has lost amongst its people, the European parliament should call for tougher sanctions, especially against Iran's Central Bank and its oil and gas exports. The Iranian nuclear program and the export of terrorism have to be stopped."

German-Iranian author Saba Farzan views this trip as a slap into the face of every freedom loving Iranian. "If Mrs. Lochbihler and her delegation are not even interested in the Iranian freedom movement, at least they should consider the taxpayers money. Tax revenues pay for the scheduled talks with the murderers in Teheran namely. The only right position to take is to cancel the visit and reside with the freedom loving people of Iran."

Protest against the invitation of the Iranian Vice Minister for Economic Affairs to the German Foundation DGAP

Islamic Republic of Iran not a partner in Afghanistan - STOP THE BOMB is calling for the cancellation of an event with Mohammad Reza Farzin and Rainer Stinner (FDP)

Berlin, October 24, 2011

The partly state-sponsored German Foundation DGAP is holding an event called „Experts Talk“ with Mohammad Reza Farzin, Vice Minister for Economic Affairs of Iran and Rainer Stinner, foreign policy spokesman of the Free Democrats (FDP), the junior partner in Germany's ruling coalition this Wednesday, 26 October 2011.[1]

It is announced that the talks will address a possible "energy cooperation" with Iran as well as possibilities to partner in „problem solving in Afghanistan“.

„STOP THE BOMB is shocked that members of the German Bundestag in this way are undermining EU sanctions against the Iranian regime, which are aiming particularly at the country's energy sector", says Michael Spaney, spokesperson of the Campaign STOP THE BOMB. „We are calling for a cancellation of the event. Given the recent murder complot of the Iranian regime in the United States this invitation is a dangerous signal of giving in to terrorist methods", Spaney adds. 

STOP THE BOMB warns against the assessment that the West had shared interests with the Iranian regime in Afghanistan. "We consider this to be a dangerous illusion, particularly on the eve of the Afghanistan Conference scheduled for December in Bonn," says Michael Spaney. "The Wikileaks revelations were only the latest proves demonstrating that the Iranian regime is responsible for the killing of soldiers of the ISAF troops in Afghanistan. The regime is also involved in drug trafficking and supports Islamist terror groups in Afghanistan like the Taliban and Al Qaeda." [2]

Paolo Casaca, executive director of the South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), who is currently accompanying a major delegation of leading Afghan women through European countries to make their voices heard, warns of this approach. "There are no common interests with Islamist forces in Afghanistan. Instead of stabilizing the influence of the Iranian regime in Afghanistan, Western countries should support and strengthen democratic forces inside the country. The significant improvements in the rights and social situation of women and girls in Afghanistan are likely to be reversed if Islamist forces are allowed to have any role in Afghanistan's future", says Casaca.

STOP THE BOMB asked the DGAP to cancel the invitation and will protest against the event on October 26, in front of the DGAP, Rauchstraße 17/18 in 10787 Berlin.

 ***

<sub>[1] STOP THE BOMB criticized Rainer Stinner in July 2010, when he travelled to Iranrtly after the passing of European sanctions against Iran. STOP THE BOMB stated that Stinner undermined the sanctions by signalling that there is still time for dialogue. See de.stopthebomb.net/de/stinner.html. The German weekly "Die Zeit" stated: "The liberal foreign policy spokesman Rainer Stinner is visiting Iran. In this way he is torpedoing the Iran sanctions of the EU", see www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2010-08/rainer-stinner-iran-atomstreit.

[2] The DGAP itself states that there is a "financial support of operative Al-Qaeda cells" by the Iranian regime in its recent paper discussion U.S. policy towards Iran: http://www.dgap.org/2011/10/18/von-der-eindammung-zur-entspannung-am-golf/ (p. 16). Information on the Wikileaks revelations: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703700904575391664183556930.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/02/afghan-mps-scholars-iran-payroll?intcmp=239, with links to central Wikileaks documents. In May 2011 the so-called "human rights commissioner" of the Iranian regime, Mohammad Javad Larijani threatened to allow free transit for the smuggling drugs to Europe should the West not stop to criticize human rights violations in Iran. (http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article13371692/Iran-droht-Westen-mit-Transit-von-Drogen-nach-Europa.html)</sub>

Matthias Platzeck, Rüdiger Safranski and the Iranian Regime

German companies are undeterred by Iran sanctions

STOP THE BOMB, October 7, 2011

Despite international sanctions, there will be two events next week initiating German Iran-business. In Dresden the governor of the oil-rich Iranian province Khuzestan will promote investments and technology transfer for the energy sector, while representatives of the sanctioned EIH bank will “help in word and deed” at a business diner in Hamburg. Considering the progressing Iranian nuclear weapons program [1], the massive Iranian support for the crackdown on the Syrian opposition and a wave of executions in Iran [2], the activities of the German-Iranian business lobby are cynical.

The Struppen (Saxony) based EIVENT (European Iranian Ventures) organizes a business congress at a disclosed venue in Dresden on October 10, 2011. Seyed Jafar Hejazi, governor of the Iranian province Khuzestan, together with a high-level Iranian business delegation will initiate German deals with Iran. Khuzestan is a center of the Iranian oil industry, vast new oilfields are being developed, and obviously, they count on technology made in Germany. The invitation to the congress promises “high credit-worthiness and big opportunities for cooperation and investments” in the fields of oil, gas, refinery and petrochemistry, despite the fact that the Iranian energy sector is sanctioned since autumn 2010. [3]

Four days later, on October 14, the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce [4] invites to a business diner with three “honored guests” from the European-Iranian Tradebank (EIH), who will “help in word and deed”. The EIH, a bank in Hamburg in the hands of the Iranian regime, has been put on the EU sanctions list in May 2011 after massive international pressure and protests from the campaign STOP THE BOMB. In August 2011, the bank went to the European Court of Justice against this decision. [5]

Michael Spaney, spokesperson of the campaign STOP THE BOMB: „The activities of the business lobby are ridiculing international sanctions efforts against the Iranian regime. German Iran deals are openly initiated in cooperation with representatives of the regime. Especially German technology transfers and investments for the Iranian energy sector, which is the economic pillar of the regime, are obviously still not effectively restricted by the German government.”

[1] www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,790042,00.html

[2] www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/human-rights/11317-iran-international-call-to-stop-hundreds-of-planned-executions

[3] www.eivent.de

[4] www.dihkev.de

[5] de.stopthebomb.net/de/d-iran/eih.htm

After EU Sanctions against Syria: Stop Iranian Oil Imports

Tehran endangers democracy movements in the Middle East

Sharp Criticism against German Talks with Iran

STOP THE BOMB, 8 July 2011

STOP THE BOMB strongly protests against new talks of German politicians with representatives of the Iranian regime.[i] Members of the German Bundestag hosted a delegation of the Iranian parliament (Majlis) last week and two prominent Iranian representatives, Iranian ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh and the Iranian ambassador in Germany Alireza Sheikh Attar, spoke at a conference in the German Foreign office. The conference was organized as the 59. Pugwash Conference on the premises of the Foreign Office from July 1-4 and was also sponsored by the ministry.[ii]

With two events in one week Germany is again leading among Western democracies regarding talks with Iran. Michael Spaney, Spokesperson of the STOP THE BOMB Campaign, is criticizing this policy: "While German politicians are hesitant in supporting the Iranian freedom movement, they are leading in dialogue with official representatives of the anti-Semitic and authoritarian regime. This suggests that there is a possibility to reach substantial results in these talks, which is simply not true. The dialogue is used by the Iranian propaganda for their aims."

Members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee who were invited to the Bundestag at the same time wrote a sharp protest letter criticizing the talks. This pseudo parliament would only cover the brutal suppression of protesters while the regime is calling for genocide and developing weapons to erase Israel of the map, the letter states.[iii] Referring to this letter, Ruprecht Polenz, head of the German foreign policy council, defended the talks stating that sanctions would not exclude talks.[iv]

"Polenz is ignoring the threats emerging from the Iranian regime and its nuclear program for the Iranian people, for Israel and the whole region. These threats are described clearly in the letter as well as in recent statements of the IAEA", says Michael Spaney. "Members of the German Bundestag are thus misleading the public about the nature and the total lack of results of the dialogue with members of a pseudo-parliament without democratic legitimacy." [v]

The talks are particularly cynical because they are taking place while Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Iran controlled Hezbollah terrorists are murdering Syrian protesters fighting for a democratic Syria. [vi]

Engagement with Iranian representatives and their integration in international entities is only legitimizing the expansionist policy of the Iranian regime.

STOP THE BOMB therefore demands more pressure on the regime: diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions which should include further goods like machinery.[vii] In spite of a decline of German exports to Iran during the last months Germany still is the most important Western exporter to Iran. In the first four months of 2011, exports to Iran amounted to almost 1 billion Euros. [viii]

 ---

[i] The recent meeting of members of the Iranian Majlis is but one example for several events of similar nature. STOP THE BOMB criticized the trip of Rainer Stinner, foreign policy spokesman for the German liberal party FDP in July 2010, the trip of members of the committee for culture of the Bundestag headed by chairman Peter Gauweiler in October 2010, of Elke Hoff, member of the liberal FDP in November 2010 and foreign minister Guido Westerwelle in February 2011.
http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/elke-hoff/open-letter.html
http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/press/press-releases.html#c1967

[ii] http://www.pugwash.org/reports/pic/59/media.htm Iranian ambassador to Iran, Alireza Sheikh Attar is an intimate of Ahmadinejad. From 1980 to 1985, he was governor in Kurdish Iran and responsible for murder and human rights violations in this area. http://de.stopthebomb.net/lehrerkonferenz.html#c1071

[iii] "We, the members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, on an official visit to Berlin, firmly protest the visit of Iranian Majlis members in Berlin and express our deep disappointment in their acceptance by German officials, including the German parliament. The Iranian Majlis is a façade of a parliament that covers a murderous regime that oppresses its people and tortures young students and protesters. They support and export terror, aid Assad’s regime in repressing protests against him, deny the Holocaust – all while manufacturing nuclear weapons and missiles in order to commit genocide against the Jews and erase our only state from the map. (…) We cannot stand by while German representatives hold a dialogue with a regime that calls for genocide”. Vgl. http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=227372

[iv] http://www.ruprecht-polenz.de/lokal_1_1_994_Polenz-Sanktionen-schliessen-Gespraeche-nicht-aus.html

[v] The last round of talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany yielded no results. After Catherine Ashton, High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the EU, tried to initiate new talks with a letter to Tehran, but the unsatisfying answer of Dr. Saeed Jalili of the Iranian National Security Council only caused disapproval. See http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/article/2011/05/20110517154728nehpets0.8738367.html#axzz1RL0k40cE

[vi] http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2011-04/syrien-armee-meuterei-soldaten

[vii] Michael Tockuss, head of the German-Iranian chamber of commerce, said in an interview that one must not forget that two thirds of the Iranian industry is equipped with German machinery and technology and that Iran therefore is dependent on German spare parts. http://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/deutschland-iran_aid_104866.html

[viii] The precise number is 999.796.131 Euro. Source: Eurostat.

Press Release: German Companies are Undermining EU Sanctions against Iran's Energy Sector

Berlin, April 13, 2011

In Tehran starts the „Iran Oil Show 2011“  on Saturday, April 16. The Oil Show is an industry exhibition for companies that are active in the energy sector. A high number of German companies will participate, presenting their technology for the sanctioned Iranian energy sector.[1] The campaign “STOP THE BOMB – No Deals with the Iranian Regime!” condemns the participation of the German companies. Those companies are strongly suspected to violate EU sanctions. STOP THE BOMB calls on the responsible authorities to actively investigate against these companies. STOP THE BOMB has compiled and analyzed a list of the represented German companies.[2]

The range of products of the German companies include all kinds of products for the energy sector, including pumps, pipes and construction machines and specialized measuring instruments. Exporting these products to Iran violates the letter and spirit of the EU sanctions.[3] With the Iran Oil Show the Iranian regime promotes business in the Iranian energy sector, and it exploits the growing participation of European companies for its propaganda.[4]

Deals in the Iranian energy sector support the Iranian regime. The German companies that are active in this sector are therefore responsible for the fact that the regime can go on with its policy of human rights violations, its nuclear program and the export of terror against the will of the Iranian people and in spite of massive protests against the regime. Revenues from the energy sector made up nearly 50% of the state budget and 80% of the export income in 2009/2010.[5] The biggest part of the Iranian energy sector is state owned.[6] Business partners in Iran are mostly companies connected to the economic empire of the Revolutionary Guards, who run the majority of the projects in the energy sector.[7] The Revolutionary Guards are on the US terror list and since July 2010 also on the EU sanctions list.

"The results of the German Iran policy are disastrous. Despite EU sanctions, Germany is the most important Western business partner of Iran, with an annual export volume of 3.8 billion Euros. Only China has more companies participating at the Iran Oil Show. Furthermore, the German government refuses to shut down the EIH bank. The bank is essential for the financing of Germany's Iran business. There are no serious efforts to put effective pressure on the Iranian regime”, says STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle.[8]

Prof. Gert Weisskirchen, foreign policy spokesperson for the SPD in the Bundestag from 1999 till 2009, comments: „Whoever circumvents the EU sanctions not only violates international law. By supporting an oppressive regime against the will of the EU, one also threatens the hopes of many young people in Iran for democracy.”

[1] http://www.iranoilshow.com/

[2] http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/d-iran/iran-oil-show-2011.html#c2001

[3] The energy sector is at the same time the Achilles’ heel of the regime, this is why this sector is in the center of the international sanction efforts. Additionally to UN sanctions the US, the EU, Canada, South Korea and Japan have issued sanctions against deals that benefit the Iranian energy sector. See an overview of the international sanctions: www.iranenergyproject.org/topics/1/sanctions

[4] http://www.irxp.com/news/217/

[5] Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Annual Review 1388 (2009 / 2010), p. 15 and 18. (http://www.cbi.ir/page/7575.aspx)

[6] List of companies belonging to the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum: http://www.iranoilgas.com/companies/whoiswho/

[7] RAND Corporation, The Rise of the Pasdaran, 2009, p. 59 ff. (http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG821.pdf)

[8] The Wall Street Journal reported on April 4, 2011, that the German government still refuses to take action against the European-Iranian Trade Bank (EIH), which facilitates the bulk of the German and a big part of the international Iran business. Transactions via the Tehran dependence of the EIH cannot be controlled by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), and the claimed supervision of the deals via the EIH can be circumvented.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703841904576256711528931504.html?mod=googlenews_wsj. See also: http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/d-iran/eih.html

Mina Ahadi: Do only lives of German citizens count for Westerwelle?

German Foreign Minister Westerwelle ignores the imminent execution of the Iranian lawyer of Sakineh Ashtiani and lets the Iranian regime bank EIH continue to operate in Hamburg.

STOP THE BOMB press statement, Feb. 28, 2011

The hanging of Houtan Kian, the lawyer of Sakineh Ashtiani, is imminent, according to information from the International Committee against Stoning and Execution. Ashtiani is an Iranian woman threatened to be stoned. [1] Kian was arrested together with the two German journalists Jens Koch und Markus Hellwig on October 10, 2010, in his office in Tabriz. The journalists have been released on February 19, 2011, during an Iran journey by the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, where Westerwelle met with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

Mina Ahadi, spokesperson of the International Committee against Stoning and Execution, yesterday talked about Kian on a rally in Hamburg:  “Do only lives of German citizens count for Westerwelle? Instead of promoting political and economic ties with the regime at the expense of human rights, the German government should speak out on Iran as clearly as on Libya, and ostracize and isolate the dictatorship in Iran.”

Mina Ahadi spoke at a protest rally against the Iranian EIH bank in Hamburg. The EIH bank is one of  the most important loopholes in the international Iran sanctions. It can continue to operate despite being involved in deals for the Iranian nuclear weapons program and massive international protests. [2]

“The announced execution of the human rights lawyer Houtan Kian shortly after Westerwelle’s trip to Iran demonstrates how useless human rights appeals to the rulers in Tehran are. To the contrary, the announcement by the German Foreign Minister in Tehran to expand the German-Iranian relations and cooperations only emboldened the regime to continue the current wave of executions”, said Jonathan Weckerle, spokesperson of the campaign STOP THE BOMB, who organized the rally.

A broad coalition of exile-Iranian, Jewish, Christian and secular political organizations demanded together with STOP THE BOMB the immediate closure of the Iranian regime bank in Hamburg, and called for a “stop of the German soft line approach towards the Iranian regime”. It was time to isolate the Iranian torture regime politically and economically and to massively support the Iranian freedom movement.

But Germany undauntedly continues its policy of dialogue with the unscrupulous Islamist rulers in Iran.

Directly following the Iran trip of Westerwelle, Kazem Jalali traveled to Germany last week. Jalali is the Spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Parliament. In Germany he met with Barbara Lochbihler from the Green Party, who is chairwoman of the Iran delegation of the European Parliament. Westerwelle and Lochbihler in their meetings with the representatives of the Iranian regime talked about further dialogue meetings, cooperation in many sectors and even the extension of the economic ties. [3]

[1] http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/4328

[2] http://de.stopthebomb.net/de/d-iran/eih.html (For Westerwelle in Iran see http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/press/press-releases.html#c1962)

[3] http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166606.html and http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/iran1382.html

Close Hamburg's Iranian terror bank

STOP THE BOMB press release, February 23, 2011

Hamburg - Center of German-Iranian Networking

STOP THE BOMB, November 22nd, 2010

A protest rally took place today in front of the Marriott Courtyard Airport Hotel in Hamburg, organized by the STOP THE BOMB Campaign and other groups. STOP THE BOMB protested against the "Iran Business Forum", an event to promote German-Iranian trade. The "Iran Business Forum" was organized by the IPC Company in cooperation with the Iranian Embassy in Germany. This event was an affront against the democratic Iranian opposition and the international efforts to sanction the Iranian regime.
 
The event was attended by about 100 people. With this event, the city of Hamburg again proved to be the centre of German support for the Iranian regime. The German Iranian Chamber of Commerce is also located in the city. This institute continuously offers seminars for companies which want to expand their business in Iran. The „Islamic Centre of Hamburg“ is an instrument of the Iranian state, according to the 2008 report of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Hamburg is also domicile of the European-Iranian Bank of Commerce (EIH), a bank which is on the sanctions list of the US Treasury, because it is involved in financing Iran's nuclear program. The EIH Bank is financing many European business transactions because other banks withdrew from Iran. Hamburg therefore is leading in financing German and European business with Iran.

The Iranian regime is working on expanding its influence in the city. The "Alliance of Iranian Entrepreneurs in Hamburg"(BIU) under the leadership of Kourosh Pourkian is busy with planning a new "Iran-House" in Hamburg. Pourkian also held a speech at the "Iran Business Forum" at the Marriott hotel today. Pourkian is vice chairman of the “Hafis-Foundation”. Reinhard Stuth, the current Senator for Culture in Hamburg, was the chairperson of this foundation until September 2010.

STOP THE BOMB-Speaker Jonathan Weckerle says: "Alireza Beyghi, who spoke at the "Iran Business Forum" is the governor of the Iranian province East Azerbaijan. He is responsible for the imminent execution of Sakineh Ashtiani, and the imprisonment of two German journalists who are charged with „espionage", because they wanted to conduct an interview with Sakineh's son. The Prosecutor General of the Iranian province East Azerbaijan just announced that Sakineh's case is moving through the legal stages in a Tehran court and, if the sentence is ratified, she will be executed by stoning. The German-Iranian Business Forum demonstrates: Contrary to the situation in the US, the hangmen of the Iranian regime are not added to terror lists and excluded from entering Germany, but they can move freely and do business as usual."

Because the Marriott Courtyard Hotel group did not cancel the event in spite of information and protest letters, but decided to host criminals who committed crimes against humanity in Iran and lobbyists of the Islamic dictatorship, the hotel chain will be added to UANI's list of the companies which support the Iranian regime.

International Protests against Iranian Propaganda Event at the Marriott Courtyard Airport Hotel in Hamburg / German MP Elke Hoff promotes expansion of German-Iranian Cooperation in Iran

STOP THE BOMB, November 20, 2010

An event to promote German business in Iran with the title "Iran Business Forum – Possibilities to invest in Iran's North-Western provinces" will take place on Monday, November 22, on the premises of the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Hamburg. One of the invited speakers is Alireza Beyghi, governor of the province Eastern Azerbaijan. This is the province where Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is threatened with execution and in which two German journalists are detained, charged with „espionage“, because they wanted to conduct an interview with Sakineh's son.[1]

The event, officially held by the IPC GmH, is organized in cooperation with the Iranian Embassy, according to a telephone conversation with Nils Drescher, manager of the hotel in Hamburg.[2] According to the schedule of the event, the Iranian Ambassador, Ali Reza Sheikh Attar will be the first speaker. Sheikh Attar, member of the revolutionary guards, which are on the terror list in the United States, is responsible for the assassination of hundreds of members of the opposition in Iran, and also for the persecution of Iranians in German exile.[3]

The coalition STOP THE BOMB will hold a protest rally in front of the Marriott Hotel in Hamburg on Monday, November 22.[4]

Elke Hoff, member of the Bundestag for the FDP (Liberal Democrats) and also board member of the Near and Middle East Association (NUMOV), which lobbies against sanctions and promotes trade with Iran, is in Iran today and promotes the expansion of German-Iranian cooperation in different fields, including the official and parliamentary level. [5]

The destiny of the two arrested German journalists, whose names are still not known in the public, shows what Germany gets for its close relations with the Iranian regime. Hardly one journalist in Germany dares to report on the case of the arrested journalists.[6] Meanwhile, the Iranian regime is conducting a campaign against Mina Ahadi, who managed to draw the international attention to the case of Sakineh with a campaign against stoning. Mina Ahadi got several death threats. A public event with Mina Ahadi as a speaker in Berlin that was scheduled for tonight had to be cancelled due to security reasons after the German police refused to provide protection for the event.

Jonathan Weckerle, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB, comments: „Right now the Iranian regime has taken the offensive and tries to blackmail the German government with the imprisoned journalists. This is also a result of the ongoing events promoting trade with Iran and of the uncritical journeys to Iran by German members of the parliament, by which the German side undermines the sanctions and signals weakness and indetermination. STOP THE BOMB demands that events promoting trade with Iran and trips to Iran like the one of the liberal democrat’s member of parliament Elke Hoff are stopped immediately.”

The US organization UANI – United Against A Nuclear Iran has also protested against the event in Hamburg. In a letter to J.W. Marriott, head of the Marriott chain, Mark D. Wallace, president of UANI and former UN ambassador for the USA, writes:

"By providing accommodations for the Iranian Ambassador at an event singularly conceived for the purposes of promoting increased trade between Germany and Iran, the Marriot is facilitating the Iranian regime's ability to counter the effects of multilateral sanctions intended to isolate an illegitimate dictatorship that engages in conduct that threatens international peace and security, and is an egregious human rights violator." [7]

German Parliamentary Committee legitimizes the Executioners of the Iranian Opposition

STOP THE BOMB condemns the journey by the subcommittee on foreign culture and education policy to Iran.

STOP THE BOMB, October 15, 2010

The coalition STOP THE BOMB, which is active against the nuclear armament of Iran, strongly condemns the journey of the subcommittee on foreign culture and education policy to Iran, scheduled for 16-22 October, 2010. Heading the delegation is the head of the committee, Peter Gauweiler (CDU/CSU), accompanied by fellow committee members Günter Gloser (SPD), Lukrezia Jochimsen (Left Party) and Claudia Roth (Green Party). (1)

According to the Iranian news agency Fars News, the initiative for the trip was a letter from the Head of the German parliamentary committee, Peter Gauweiler, to the head of the committee on culture of the Iranian mock parliament, Gholam Ali Hadad Adel. (2)

Hadad Adel is a close confidant of supreme leader Khamenei. He personally sent a threat to the Queen of England that the author Salman Rushdie will be killed. Hadad Adel said: “Salman Rushdie has been sentenced to death by the historical fatwa of Imam Khomeini, and bestowing of titles cannot bring this corpse back to life.” (3)

According to Fars News, a meeting with the speaker of the Iranian parliament and holocaust denier Ali Larijani is also planned. (4)

“This kowtowing by German parliamentarians to the killers and anti-Semites in the Iranian regime is another slap in the face of the Iranian democratic opposition and to civilized people worldwide”, says Michael Spaney, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB in Germany. “Germany legitimizes the totalitarian dictatorship in Iran and goes against the sanctions of the US and the EU.”

The US recently imposed travel bans on eight leading officials of the regime because of human rights violations. (5) Mahammed Mostafaie, one of the lawyers of Sakine Mohammadi Aschtiani, an Iranian woman sentenced to death, just called on the European Parliament to take stronger measures against the Islamic Republic. Besides economic sanctions, political sanctions would be necessary as well. For example, the EU could impose travel bans on Iranian politicians and officials. (6)

“While there is an often diffuse debate about integration and Islam in Germany, leading German politicians flatter the main exporters of Islamic terrorism”, says Spaney. “Especially the role of the Green Party, which always likes to portray itself as friends of the Iranian opposition, cannot be called other than hypocritical.”

STOP THE BOMB demands an immediate end to the dialogue with the Iranian terror regime, consequent economic and political sanctions and the banning of Hizbollah as henchman of the Iranian regime in Germany.

[1] http://www.bundestag.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2010/pm_101015.html
[2] http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8907120168%EF%BB%BF
[3] http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/312887/index.do
[4] http://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/muenchner-sicherheitskonferenz-laridschani-verteidigt-holocaust-leugner_aid_368978.html
[5] http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/tg877.htm
[6] www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gFSGKG46VUhr9t5sJkYIENn1AHQw

Swiss Iran policy under fire

STOP THE BOMB, October 8, 2010

STOP THE BOMB Campaign Protests Against Swiss Iran-business

Zurich: rally, Monday October 11th, 2010, 4 pm

in front of Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft SECO Zurich, Stauffacherstrasse 101, Zurich

Berlin: rally, Monday, October 11th 2010, 4 pm

Otto-von-Bismarck-Allee 4a, between the Swiss Embassy and the German Chancellery, 10557 Berlin

Düsseldorf: rally, Monday, October 11th 2010, 4 pm

near the EGL subsidiary in Düsseldorf, Hammerstraße 19, 40219 Düsseldorf

Vienna: rally, Monday, October 11th 2010, 4 pm

Prinz-Eugen-Straße in front of the Swiss Embassy, 1040 Wien

London: rally, Monday October 11th, 2010, 3 pm

Montagu Place, London W1H 2BQ

Monday, October 11th, the STOP THE BOMB campaign will demonstrate in several European cities against the Swiss-Iran policy. The Berlin rally, which takes place between the Swiss embassy and the German Chancellory, will coincide with actions in Duesseldorf, Zurich, London and Vienna.  In Dusseldorf the place of protest is in font of a branch of the Swiss company EGL, which has signed a billion-dollar deal with Iran. The protest in Berlin and Düsseldorf addresses both the Swiss business with Iran and the continuing German exports.

STOP THE BOMB Germany spokesman Michael Spaney criticizes the Swiss government in Bern: "If the Swiss government does not join the European regulations, it is a loophole for business with Iran, undermining the EU sanctions imposed in July. The Swiss assistance to Iran's application for membership to the WTO is as great a scandal as the billion euro deal of the Swiss company EGL."

Although EGL announced that they would not use Iranian gas in the initial phase of the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline, the supply contract with Iran remains upright.

"Therefore STOP THE BOMB calls for the full cancellation of the billion dollar gas deal of EGL with Iran" said Michael Spaney

Calmy-Rey spoke against the recent EU sanctions. Switzerland´s position was "neutral and impartial" and should "open doors in Washington and Tehran" [2]. Since 2008, Switzerland is criticized by the U.S. The gas deliveries would violate the UN sanctions and undermine the sanction policy against Iran [3]. Furthermore, Switzerland supports the accession of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the World Trade Organization [4].

The so-called "human rights dialogue" between Switzerland and Iran as well as the inconsistent actions of the German Federal Government cover the crimes of the regime in Tehran, according to Spaney.

Despite EU sanctions, German trade with Iran was rapidly increasing by 14 percent in the first half of 2010 [5]. In many of these trade-relations the Hamburg-based European-Iranian Trade Bank (EIH) is involved, which is owned by the Iranian regime.

For this reason the STOP THE BOMB campaign protested on September 23rd 2010 for the immediate closure of the EIH [6]. On September 8th it became public that the EIH was put on the sanctions list of the U.S. Treasury. The EIH is deeply involved into the nuclear weapons program in Iran, according to Stuart Levey of the U.S. financial authorities [7].

1] http://diepresse.com/home/meinung/gastkommentar/592947/index.do
[2] http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=188050
[3] http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/calmy-rey_verteidigt_besuch_in_iran_1.691566.html
[4] http://www.sonntagonline.ch/index.php?show=news&id=796
[5] http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=184997
[6] http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=189087
[7] http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/tg847.htm

Rally for the immediate closure of the European-Iranian Trade Bank (EIH) in Hamburg, Germany

German government protects terror bank

STOP THE BOMB September 9, 2010

The Hamburg-based Europäisch-Iranische Handelsbank (EIH) has been blacklisted for sanctions in the U.S. as the American Treasury Department reported yesterday.

Previous news reports suggest that Germany did protect the Iranian-owned bank before the EU sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran were issued on July 26th.[1] The New York Times reported on a phone call by U.S. President Obama to German chancellor Merkel, who refused to sanction the EIH.[2]

According to U.S. Treasury Department official Stuart Levey, EIH is responsible for support in the Iranian nuclear program.[3]

„We urge chancellor Merkel to ban EIH. Germany has to get active regarding Iran sanctions. The claim of the German government to prevent Iran from getting nuclear, while intensively sustaining trade relations with Iran, is just lip service“, said Michael Spaney, spokesman for the STOP THE BOMB coalition against nuclear armament of Iran.

German trade volume with Iran increased extensively in the first months of 2010 despite sanctions.[4]

Until today the European Union has yet failed to determine precise regulations enforcing the imposed sanctions.

BAFA, the export control authority of the German Economy Ministry said in a phone call that a date for the commencement of EU sanctions hasn't been set yet. There is either the day of their announcement, July 26th, 2010 or the not yet defined date when the regulations of the sanctions will be issued by the EU.

Therefore STOP THE BOMB demands from the German government and all EU-heads of government to set the enactment date of EU sanctions to July 26th and not on the coming date of the regulating order.

Similar to the case of EIH, Stuart Levey from US-Treasury put several German companies on his sanctions list.[5] Mainly the Dusseldorf based Ascotec and IFIC as well as some subsidiaries of them are subject to the US ban. It is not known if the German authorities have started to investigate the involvement of these companies in Iran's nuclear weapons program

IFIC also holds 4, 5 % of Germany's steel giant ThyssenKrupp which has considerable exports to the now sanctioned Iranian energy sector.[6]

A vast amount of German engineering exports to Iran is still not affected by the current EU sanctions. To exert decisive pressure on Iran a ban on these businesses is necessary says the STOP THE BOMB campaign.

Protest against Iran trip of Rainer Stinner (FDP)

Foreign policy speaker of Westerwelle's FDP wants to travel to Iran - Protests arise also in the FDP

STOP THE BOMB, July 30, 2010

The German member of parliament Dr. Rainer Stinner, foreign policy speaker of the FDP, has announced that he wants to travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran tomorrow (Saturday, July 31), to talk about the „nuclear program“ and the „situation in the region“. (1) 

„That the foreign policy speaker of foreign minister Guido Westerwelle’s party wants to travel to Iran is a fatal political signal. The just imposed UN- and EU sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran would be undermined und weakened by Germany. Instead of further isolating and pressuring the illegitimate and criminal regime in Iran, such a visit would strenghten the regime diplomatically and flatter it as a partner for dialogue. Stinners visit would also be exploited by the Iranian regime media in order to discourage the opposition. The visit has to be urgently canceled“, says STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Jonathan Weckerle.

Criticism of Stinners travel plans arises also in the FDP. Dr. Nikoline Hansen, head of the FDP Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, writes in a protest letter: 

„In my opinion your trip to Iran is in the long run not positive for the German economy, that tries every way to bypass the santions policy. Because someone who does business with the ardent enemies of Israel in the end acts against his own interests.“ (2)

In an answer to a protest letter from the German-Iranian publicist Saba Farzan, also a member of the FDP, Stinner writes: „Who denies talking, accepts shooting. I’m an independent parlamentarian and I draw conclusions on my own. I don’t rely on the Iranian propaganda, not on propaganda from elsewhere, and I don’t exclusively rely on your opinion.“ 

Saba Farzan states: „As a German-Iranian publicist and member of the Free Democratic Party I'm outraged about this planned trip. The critical dialogue with this regime is fortunately over now – actually it never really existed. This week Iran's largest trade partner, the European Union, has passed finally very tough sanctions. Travelling now to Iran and playing little Chamberlain is extremely dangerous and shows a lack of analytic expertise.“

Stinner self description as „transmission belt between politics and economy“ arouses the suspicion that for him the export interest of the German economy are more important than the dangers posed by the Iranian regime. Stinner in the end of 2009 already spoke out against putting the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on the EU terror list because of their economic power: „If you would put he Revolutionary Guards on the EU terror list, this would factically mean a broad economic embargo, which in this form is neither wished by Germany or the other EU member states.“ (4) 

After protests Stinner explained in an email that he wants to meet „among others“ UN officials in Iran, to talk with reference to Afghanistan about drugs, crime and refugees. But these topics don’t justify the visit of a regime that has no shared interests in Afghanistan and which instead arms the Taliban and maintains contacts to al-Qaeda, as the recently published documents on WikiLeaks show. (5)

Stinners trip, which would not take place without knowledge and approval of the German government, once again shows the German unwillingness to break with a regime that uses „dialogue“ only to gain time for its nuclear program, that continues to support Islamist terror worldwide, that steadily threatens Israel with destruction and which inmidst of its hardest internal crisis uses brute force against any opposition. Just a month ago an Iran trip of the head of the foreign affairs committee of the German Bundestag Ruprecht Polenz (CDU) has been canceled after protests, officially for health reasons. (6)

(1) http://www.facebook.com/rainer.stinner
(2) http://davongekommen.blogspot.com/2010/07/dialog-mit-dem-iran.html
(3) www.rainer-stinner.de
(4) Answer to an email request from Stephan Grigat, December 17, 2009.
(5) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703700904575391664183556930.html
(6) http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/start/germany/press/press-releases.html#c1428

Germany wants to weaken Iran sanctions of the European Union

STOP THE BOMB, July 20, 2010

Amidst negotiations for additional EU sanctions to be implemented against the Islamic Republic of Iran on July 26, the German negotiators are trying to enforce terms that would rob the sanctions of their penetrating power.

According to information obtained by the STOP THE BOMB campaign, Germany is pushing for financial sector exemptions in this new sanctions package despite resistance from other EU partners.

Germany is trying to weaken British and French sanction demands, which target Iranian banks in Europe and the European banks doing transactions with them.

If Germany has its way, German banks operating with Iranian financial institutions wouldn’t be heavily affected by these sanctions.

A recent study found that five German banks continue to act with Iranian partners which were placed on the UN Security Council sanctions list on June 9. As of June 30, four major Iranian banks, which the Security Council or the US treasury department sanctioned, are still active in Germany.

The Europäisch-Iranische Handelsbank AG (EIH) is very important in this context. The Hamburg based bank is owned by Iranians and has rapidly increasing business figures.

On June 14, 2010 at the EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, it became clear that Germany is trying to weaken the sanction plans of other EU nations. According to press reports, the German delegation at this meeting tried to remove the gas sector off the sanctions list.

This German attempt to mitigate the Iran sanctions has been successfully countered. On June 16, EU leaders agreed on sanctions that will include the gas sector.

"If the German federal government was to strip the sanctions of their potential crippling effects, it would undermine the international efforts to stop the Iranian policy of aggression," said Michael Spaney, spokesman for the STOP THE BOMB campaign. "Germany's leading role in trading with Iran and its years of appeasement has made the Iranian regime an ever growing danger. If sanctions do not succeed in preventing Iran's nuclear bomb, then it is to a large extent the fault of Germany. "

With annual exports reaching 4 billion euros, Germany is at the forefront of exporters to Iran. In particular, the German high-tech exports to Iran in the energy sector cannot be replaced by other countries. STOP THE BOMB sees this German-Iranian business relationship as essential support for Ahmadinejad's regime.

In the first four months of this year, German exports to Iran increased 13%, according to the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce.

Appeals from Paris and London for tougher Iran sanctions have been rejected repeatedly by Berlin. After the bloody suppression of the Iranian opposition in the summer of last year, a British attempt to impose diplomatic penalties was blocked by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Britain wanted to withdraw the European ambassadors from Iran. Merkel objected to these proposals. The international community views Germany's role in the Iran issue with increased criticism.[i]

In an online-petition the independent STOP THE BOMB campaign in Germany calls for tougher sanctions against the Iranian regime and for supporting the democratic and secular opposition.

STOP THE BOMB July 20, 2010

Important articles on the issue:

Matthias Küntzel: „47 Tage, auf die es ankommt“, Hamburg, Juni 22, 2010 (in German)
Stuart E. Eizenstat: "Iran Sanctions: Where We Go From Here", Wall Street Journal, Juli 2, 2010
Eli Lake: "Germans still bank with Iran", Washington Times, Juli 14,  2010

STOP THE BOMB calls for cancellation of German Foreign Affairs Committee trip to Iran

A visit would only support the Iranian regime

STOP THE BOMB, June 30, 2010

The campaign "STOP THE BOMB - No business with the Iranian regime" calls for the cancellation of the trip to Iran, from July 2- July 6 2010. The trip was announced for members of the Foreign Committee of the German Bundestag, and to be headed by Committee Chairman Ruprecht Polenz (CDU).
 
According to Iranian press reports the German committee was invited by Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the "Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy Iran”. [1]
 
"The trip of Ruprecht Polenz and other senior German politicians to Iran must be cancelled. A regime that oppresses its people, supports worldwide terrorism, is pushing a illegal nuclear weapons program, and wants to destroy Israel cannot be a dialogue partner of the German government. The journey of a high-level German delegation to Iran would thwart the efforts for international sanctions. Moreover, the trip would give the inhuman dictatorship, including the government of Ahmadinejad, legitimacy that it has lost to the Iranian majority long ago," said Jonathan Weckerle, spokesperson for STOP THE BOMB.
 
The Iranian host, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, has recently made clear in a statement that the regime is not interested in negotiating Iran’s nuclear program.[2] The regime press stressed that the Foreign Committee of the German Parliament was an institution that “works behind closed doors“  and that “it oversees the government’s foreign policy, above all in the run up to important foreign and security policy decisions.” [3]

Weckerle said: "Diplomatic  visits, such as those by Polenz, are seen by the regime as a an attempt to undermine the international sanctions front, and the regime takes advantage of this ‘opportunity’ to prolong  sanctions by exploiting the trip for propaganda purposes. The regime cannot and will not meet Western demands on human rights issues or the nuclear conflict, it aims only to gain time. Domestically, political repression remains as the only option for the rulers, and in it’s foreign policy it sees the nuclear program as it’s only lifeline. Instead of visiting the illegitimate Islamist regime, German parliamentarians should seek dialogue with representatives of the secular Iranian democracy movement and support them."

[1] http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1108781 (Siehe auch
http://www.ruprecht-polenz.de/1_3_Aktuelles_Termine.html )
[2] http://german.irib.ir/nachrichten/politik/item/112467-boroudjerdi-neue-verhandlungsbedingungen-irans-sind-reaktion-auf-us-vorgehen
[3] http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1108781

Despite Islamist threats: Daryush Shokof shows film

STOP THE BOMB, June 22, 2010

STOP THE BOMB is now presenting Iran Zendan, the latest film of the recently kidnapped exiled Iranian filmmaker Daryush Shokof on its website.

Daryush Shokof and his films made headlines when Shokof was kidnapped in Cologne/Germany on May 24, 2010 and was kept imprisoned for 13 days. The kidnappers accused Shokof of insulting "Islam, the Islamic Republic and Khomeini" in his films. Before being released on June 6, Shokof was threatened with death if he showed these films anywhere in the world. Daryush Shokof declared: „This abduction only made me stronger and more committed to fight the uncivilized, backward and barbaric regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. These two films are dedicated to the peace loving Iranians and their struggle for freedom.“

The premiere of Daryush Shokof's two latest films Iran Zendan ("Prison Iran“) and Hitler’s Grave took place in Berlin, Germany this year on May 9th. Iran Zendan shows torture, rape and execution in Iranian prisons. The film relentlessly reveals the brutal character of the thirty-one year old Iranian regime. Shokof's films contain both fictional and non-fictional sequences.  Iran Zendan also shows images of last year's revolt and its repression.

The initiative STOP THE BOMB supports Daryush Shokof with Iran Zendan's internet premiere. "To censor films with threats and force is not acceptable. Since Khomeini's fatwa against Salman Rushdie on February 14, 1989,  the Iranian regime has been threatening free speech and the arts worldwide with murder and threats of murder. One has to firmly counter the Islamists' intimidation attempts - in this case by showing and spreading Shokof's films“,  Jonathan Weckerle said, speaking for STOP THE BOMB.

You can watch Iran Zendan in full length at de.stopthebomb.net/en/start/germany/shokof.html. Starting on Friday, June 25, 2010 this film can be embedded into other websites. STOP THE BOMB calls on the international community to spread this film, which is an accusation against the Iranian regime which has turned into a living hell for anybody who opposes it. Spreading the film is an act of solidarity with the Iranian opposition.

More information about Iran Zendan and the kidnapping of Daryush Shokof hier de.stopthebomb.net/de/start/deutschland/shokof.html.

Iranian attack feared on disappeared Daryush Shokof

STOP THE BOMB, June 4, 2010

STOP THE BOMB is deeply concerned about the whereabouts and well-being of the for 11 days missing exile-Iranian artist and filmmaker Daryush Shokof. STOP THE BOMB calls on the responsible official bodies in Germany to investigate the disappearance of Shokof, and to especially consider the possibility of a politically motivated act by Iranian or Islamic forces.

STOP THE BOMB demands that the German government issues a public statement on the case of Shokof, and that it ensures with all available political means and security forces the safety and the possibility of free political and artistic activites for everyone who fleed from the Iranian terror regime. 

„The Iranian agencies control a network of agents and institutions loyal to the regime, who can still act undisturbed in Germany. For example, the Iranian ambassador to Germany Ali Reza Sheikh Attar belongs to the terrorist Iranian Revolutionary Guards“, says Jonathan Weckerle, speaker of STOP THE BOMB.

Thus, the Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi is absolutely right when she holds the German government responsible for Shokof’s security.[1] 

On Monday, May 24, 2010 Shokof was seen for the last time at the main train station in Cologne, where he wanted to board a train to Paris. Apart from this it is only known that he didn’t keep any of his appointments in Paris.

Shokof is known as one of the harshest critics of the Islamic Republic among the Iranian artists in exile. In his latest two movies, „Iran-Zendan“ (Iran-Prison) and „Hitler’s Grave“, which had their premiere on May 9, 2010 in Berlin, Shokof sharply criticizes the regime’s crimes and it’s ideology. „In Shokof’s movies many tabooed topics are adressed, tortuture and rape in the prisons are shown as well as a woman from a islamic family, who throws away her headscarf and marries a Jewish man. Shokofs work attacks the ideological foundations of the Islamic Republic and thus is a threat to the rulers in Iran. Especially because of the upcoming anniversary of the election fraud it is possible that the regime tries to intimidate the opposition in Iran and exile with an action against one of the regime’s critics“, says Weckerle. 

At least 162 assassinations of oppositional Iranians in exile have been ordered by the rulers in Tehran since 1979.[2] Since the start of the massive protest movement last year the exile Iranian opposition has been threatened increasingly and persecuted, especially in Germany.[3]

Massoud Jazayeri, deputy commander of Iranian armed forces threatened in November 2009 that many protesters inside and outside Iran had been identified and will be dealt with at the right time. As targets he lists “enlightened secularists, journalists, student activists and artists outside the country”.[4]

More information about Daryush Shokof as well as any news can be found on this special page: http://de.stopthebomb.net/en/start/germany/shokof.html