Accused of ordering the murder

AFP, Nov. 12 - In his summation at the trial of the murder suspects, the German Federal Prosecutor Bruno Jost accused Ali Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Republic, of ordering the 1992 assassination of four Iranian dissident Kurds in Berlin. He asserted, "Iran wants to prevent its implication in these murders, but will not succeed." He revealed that the case was "unusual due the state-sponsored terrorism behind the stage."

According to Jost, the order for the killing of four Iranian dissident Kurds had come from Ali Khamenei, a member of a special state committee, which also included President Ali Akbar Rafsanjani and Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian. Mr. Jost announced in his case for prosecution that Fallahian had personally given the green light for the assassination on September 17, 1992, in a telephone call to Berlin, to the first row convict, Kazem Darabi.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office, qualified in terrorist affairs, issued a warrant for the arrest of Fallahian for complicity in the murder. Five individuals, Kazem Darabi and four Lebanese nationals, have been on trial since October 1993 on charges of murdering four Iranian dissident Kurds at Mykonos Restaurant.

AFP, Nov. 13 - The Iranian embassy in Bonn called "foolish" the allegations of the Federal Prosecutor accusing the highest officials of the Islamic Republic of murder of four Iranian dissident Kurds in Berlin in 1992. The embassy believes that the Federal Prosecutor, Ronald George "has lost his mind" by accusing Khamenei in his case for prosecution in the trial of murder suspects.

Threatening with retaliation

TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (Reuter) - "Germany's prosecutor has stepped outside his bounds and through this grave error has committed an offense which makes him liable for legal action," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mahmoud Mohammadi, quoted by Tehran radio. He did not elaborate.

The newspaper Kayhan called on Tehran to break ties with Bonn, its biggest trade partner, and suggested that Moslems would take unspecified actions against Germany. "After this affront to the sanctities of the Moslem nation of Iran, it is the duty of the honourable government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to expel Germany's ambassador without hesitation and to cut all trade, economic and political ties with this government," the hard-line daily said. "Of course, the Iranian Moslem nation and other Moslems know their duty in the face of this indignity and will certainly not let this affront to Islam and Moslems go unanswered," Kayhan added. It did not elaborate.

Prosecutor vows to complete task

AFP, Nov. 14 - The German Federal Prosecutor announced on Thursday that it would not allow Iran to intimidate it in the court case of the suspects in the murder of four Iranian dissident Kurds in Berlin. In the mean time, Tehran whose leaders have been directly accused has raised the tensions. Iran announced on Thursday that it will file complaint against the Federal Prosecutor, Ronald George and expose the "politicization of the trial...." George's colleague, Bruno Jost reiterated the role of Iranian secret services in this murder and said: "No matter what happens, I will go on with my case for the prosecution..."

Rajavi lauds independence of Prosecutor

NCR secretariat, Nov. 14 - Mr. Massoud Rajavi, President of the NCR, called on the Government of Germany to put an end to its policy of "critical dialogue" with the religious, terrorist dictatorship ruling Iran, and instead adopt trade sanctions against the regime. Mr. Rajavi lauded the Federal Prosecutor's independence of action despite various pressures.

The NCR President emphasized that maintaining extensive economic and diplomatic ties - under the name of critical dialogue - with an illegitimate regime whose leaders and officials are directly in charge of executions and massacre within Iran and terrorism abroad, is not only against the highest interests of the Iranian people but a blatant affront to all the principles of democracy and human rights. There are no more excuses left for the European Union's pursuit of this policy, Mr. Rajavi added.

Underscoring the fact that export of terrorism and fundamentalism form the common bind among all the factions and groupings within the regime, Mr. Rajavi said the German Prosecutor's summation is yet another proof of the regime's incapability of reform and a further stress on the need for the adoption of binding decisions by the U.N. Security Council versus this Godfather of international terrorism. He demanded that the warrant for the arrest of Fallahian be turned into an international warrant. Mr. Rajavi also expressed hope that the German Judiciary would also issue warrants for the arrest of Khamenei and his accomplices, particularly Rafsanjani and Velayati. The NCR President also called for the convening of an international tribunal to try the leaders of the mullahs' religious, terrorist dictatorship for their crimes against humanity.

Political midget!?

TEHRAN, Nov. 15 (Reuter) - Iranian state television blasted Germany as a "political midget," questioning Tehran's extensive trade ties with Bonn after a German prosecutor accused Iran of ordering the killing of Kurdish dissidents in

Berlin. "Despite economic superiority and alleged leadership of Europe, Germany is politically no more than a midget," the state-run television said in a commentary. Judiciary head Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi earlier said Tehran might release documents on alleged German help in making Iraqi chemical weapons during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Critical dialogue already failed

Die Tages Zeitung, Nov. 16 - Michael Teiser, member of the Federal Parliament from the Christian Democratic party and nine other deputies reacted to the Mykonos trial by calling for the rejection of Iranian government. DTZ: Mr. Teiser, you and nine federal deputies from CDU have urged the Foreign Minister, Klaus Kinkel to end critical dialogue with Iran. Why? Teiser: Critical dialogue has so far failed to produce the results that had been initially expected. The minimum objective was for the Iranian government to announce its withdrawal from terrorist assassinations in Germany and Europe. This has not occurred to date. On the contrary, the Iranian government says that these issues are internal affairs and that other governments must pull themselves out of this. This is not acceptable for us. As members of the interior committee in the Bundestag, we are also responsible for internal security in Germany. We cannot accept that this state-sponsored terrorism be carried out on our soil.

Parliamentary reaction in Tehran

Tehran radio, Nov. 16 - In a letter to the speaker of Majlis, Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri, more than 200 members of the 270-seat parliament called for a review of ties with Germany.

Student protests

DUBAI, Nov. 17 (Reuter) - About 5,000 students chanting "Death to fascist Germany" and "Death to pro-America Germany" marched to the embassy from the mosque at Tehran university after midday prayers .

Keeping cool

BONN, Nov. 17 (Reuter) - The German Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it would keep cool after Iran blasted Germany as a "political midget" and questioned Tehran's extensive trade ties with Bonn.

Court seen as political

DUBAI, Nov. 17 (Reuter) - "We will not compromise with anyone or anything over Islamic values and the values of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati told Iranian television, monitored by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Germany was "gravely mistaken" if it thought Iran would ignore such an insult, Velayati said.

"In our view, that move is not a judicial one, but a totally political one," Velayati told the television.

Kinkel's detailed talks

BONN, Nov. 17 (Reuter) - The Foreign Ministry said Kinkel had held "detailed conversations" with Velayati.

"Kinkel pointed out to his Iranian counterpart that Iran is obliged by international law to protect the Germans, and German diplomatic personnel, in Iran," the statement said.

Awaiting Rushdie's fate

BBC radio (Farsi service), Nov. 17 - In an angry speech in front of the [German] embassy, Mullah Abu Torabi, Khamenei's representative at Tehran University, emphasized that should Germany not withdraw its accusations against Iran's top leaders in the assassination case known as Mykonos, there must be a decisive measure regarding the relations with that country...

One of the students said in his speech that Iran does not need any relations with the West. Amid the excitement of the audience he said: The students are ready to strike at Western interests in any part of the world...

The resolution read out at the end of the demonstration assailed the governments of the United States, Britain, France and Israel. In another part it read: "The German Prosecutor's measure compares to Rushdie's Satanic Verses." The resolution called on the Hezbollah to punish the German Prosecutor.

Calling for decisive action

NCR secretariat, Nov. 18 - In a desperate effort to elude the consequences of the Mykonos trial, the regime's leaders and the press have threatened Germany in recent days with embassy takeover, hostage-taking, severance of ties, attacking its interests worldwide, etc. Before all else, such threats reveal that the mullahs are greatly terrified at the political and international consequences ensuing the revelation of the direct role of their leaders, Khamenei and Rafsanjani, in international terrorism.

In light of the findings of the German Judiciary, the Iranian Resistance once again calls on the Government of Germany to terminate the policy of critical dialogue, boycott the Khomeini regime, and close down the mullahs' representations in that country. Such decisive reaction is the only way to effectively confront the regime's threats.

A view from SPD

BONN, Nov. 18 (Reuter) - The opposition Social Democrats (SPD) supported Bonn's refusal to back down over the controversy with Iran, which has threatened to break off trade and diplomatic ties.

Foreign policy spokesman Freimut Duve said Bonn was right not to bend to pressure over the 1992 deaths of three Kurdish politicians and their translator at a Berlin restaurant.

"If Iran wants to be accepted by the international community, it cannot have people killed abroad," Duve said. Bonn should also make clear to Tehran that much of the German investment in Iran is backed by official German government credit guarantees, he told ZDF television.

Asked to withdraw charges

TEHRAN, Nov. 18 (Reuter) - "We would like German leaders to take a correct and principled position, clearly...correcting the error committed by the judge," head of judiciary Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi was quoted by Tehran radio as saying.

"Otherwise Germany should be ready to suffer the consequences of this great error," Yazdi said, without giving further details.

Either apologize or ...

AFP, Nov. 19 - Several hundred members of an Iranian fundamentalist group, Hezbollah, demonstrated in front of the Germany embassy in Tehran. The demonstrators chanted slogans calling for severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries... They called on Germany to officially apologize, otherwise the embassy would be turned into another nest of spies, a direct reference to the 1979-80 hostage taking at the American embassy during the Islamic revolution.

More threats from Qom

AFP, Nov. 20 - Iranian Shiite clergy in the city of Qom threatened on Wednesday to issue a decree, similar to that of Rushdie's, against the German prosecutors who have accused Iran of terrorism. AFP learned that these threats were made in a demonstration by several thousand clergy, religious students, as well as the governor and deputies of Qom. In a written declaration, the demonstrators said: The mercenary prosecutors must endure the maximum punishment for this treason and this crime. The demonstrators chanted, "If the filthy, fascist prosecutors do not apologize for their Satanic affront to our sacred values, they will be condemned like Rushdie."

Decree strongly condemned

NCR secretariat, Nov. 20 - Referring to the demonstration in Qom, the NCR said: The National Council of Resistance of Iran strongly condemns these shameless and blatant threats against the Federal Prosecutor of Germany. These threats once again show how far this regime indulged in terrorism to blackmail and intimidate other countries and advance its foreign policy. The time has come for the government of Germany to adopt a decisive policy against this religious, terrorist dictatorship, to defend the principles of human rights, to combat terrorism, and to protect its own citizens. Germany must boycott the mullahs for sponsoring terrorism and close down all their representations in that country.

Justice minister backs prosecutor

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Nov. 20 -- German Justice Minister Edzard Schmidt-Jortzig reacted angrily Wednesday to the rally, saying Germany would not tolerate "outside political pressure and threats."

"I decisively reject these threats as well as any insults of the state prosecutors," he said in a statement. "The federal prosecution service has acted completely legally in the case," Schmidt-Jortzig said. "I will personally ensure it is also able to carry out its duty in the future, unaffected by political pressure and external threats."

CDU: More pressure needed

BONN, Nov. 20 (Reuter) - Several parliamentarians expressed reservations about Bonn's policy and said it was time for Germany to apply more pressure. Ruprecht Polenz, an expert on Iran and member of Chancellor Helmut Kohl's Christian Democrats in parliament, said it was time for a policy of "active influence" in which Iran would be required to do more to preserve ties with Bonn.

The party's foreign policy spokesman, Karl Lamers, told the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper the current policy had not failed but added: "We must be more insistent with the Iranian government."

Development minister blasts death threat

BONN, Nov. 20 (Reuter) - Germany's Development Minister Carl-Dieter Spranger blasted the death threat and said Germany will "not tolerate terrorism" of any kind.

"Iran's state terrorism against those who think differently has once again become visible as a result of this trial," Spranger said. "The death threats against representatives of the German justice system are intolerable and show how the Tehran regime tramples on human rights."

Kohl: Not meant to offend

BONN, Nov. 21 (Reuter) - In a two-page letter Kohl told Rafsanjani German courts were independent and that the government had absolutely no control over or involvement in the so-called "Mykonos trial" taking place in Berlin. "In the past few days I have been witnessing with worry and concern the trend in relations between the two states, especially its reflection in the press," Kohl wrote. "With such a trend, it is unfortunately possible that the long-term and friendly bilateral ties will suffer."

Kohl assured Rafsanjani that the trial in Berlin was not "a political trial," but a criminal trial. "The courts in Germany are independent," Kohl said. "This is not only the case for judgments, but also how the case is to be prosecuted. In the fight against terrorism, our courts are ruthless when it comes to their efforts to find the truth."

Iranian state television said Kohl had assured Tehran that the terrorism charges were not meant to offend Iran. But in the letter, a copy of which was released by the Chancellery in Bonn, there was no mention of the word "offense" or the slightest hint of an apology.

Diplomatic break off inevitable

BONN, Nov. 22 (Reuter) - "Diplomatic relations must be broken off when prosecutors investigate a case and conclude the Iranian leadership is involved," Wilfried Penner, the chairman of parliament's domestic affairs committee, told the Bild daily.

"We should pull our diplomats out of Tehran as soon as possible because a government which orders and carries out murders inside and outside of Persia is not to be trusted," said Hans-Otto Wilhelm, a member of Kohl's Christian Democrats.

At issue: Fundamental principles

Deutschwelle radio (Farsi service), Nov. 22 - Once again, the fundamental principles of the German society are at issue which Germans do not intend to impose on anyone in other countries, including Iran. But Germany is neither willing to sacrifice these values on the altar of its relations with Iran....

Obviously, nothing is done in Iran without the agreement of the big chiefs, or the top ranking officials of the country. The Iranian leaders however must explain where they intend to go from here and what is their intentions from maintaining future relations between the two countries. They had better avoided the harsh statements of recent days and weeks and shown good will. The Iranian leaders have so far done nothing to resolve the problem. The German government officials are also illusioned when one day there is nothing said in Tehran. They think Iran has adopted a more balanced way.

Hard-line position

Tehran radio, Nov. 23 - "Our expectation is that the government of Germany would note its international responsibilities and the wounded emotions the Muslim people of Iran and the world," Velayati told journalists in a roundtable gathering to examine future Iranian relations with Russia.

AFP, Nov. 24 - The Speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri adopted a tough position towards Germany and urged serious actions to put an end to terrorist allegations against Iran at the court of Berlin...

Referring to the letter by Chancellor Helmut Kohl in which he explained that Germany did not intend to offend the religious sentiments of the Iranian people, Nateq Nouri said: "Words are not enough. You must stop this conspiracy. The Government of Germany ought to take serious measures to end this situation."

Immediate consequences of appeasement

NCR secretariat, Nov. 25 - Referring to the latest remarks of Velayat and Nateq Nouri, the NCR statement said: Such remarks are the direct consequences of Kohl's letter to Rafsanjani and Kinkel's insistence on maintaining Critical dialogue with the regime. Appeasing the mullahs and writing letters to Mullah Rafsanjani who is among those introduced by the German Federal Prosecutor as having ordered the murder in Berlin, will bare nothing but emboldening the mullahs in their resort to terrorism and blackmail to advance their political objectives.

The Iranian Resistance lauds the announced positions of the Social Democrat, Christian Democrat, and Greens Parties calling for taking tougher action against the mullahs, ending the critical dialogue. The NCR calls on the Government of Germany to severe its relations with the Khomeini regime, this godfather of international terrorism and one of the worst violators of human rights in the contemporary world.

Iran on Trial

The Wall Street Journal, editorial, Nov. 25 - Looks like Iran may be discovering Great Satan II - Germany. Over the years, Germany has taken some pains to remain aloof from America's problems with Iran, hoping to build its own bridges to that country. But now the German Embassy in Tehran is under a siege of sorts, with hundreds of demonstrators recently pelting the building with whatever projectile comes to hand, desecrating the German flag and burning Chancellor Helmut Kohl in effigy. By late last week, Mr. Kohl had tried to cool matters in a letter to Iranian President Rafsanjani, who responded in kind Friday in a prayer sermon.

The staged demonstrations are unlikely to escalate into anything like the 1979-1980 hostage crisis the U.S. had to contend with, but given the continuing developments in the German court that sparked the protest, we wonder how long the German government will be able to maintain its "critical dialogue" with Iran. German's foreign minister has now taken to using a substitute euphemism: "actively exerting influence."

This month German prosecutors wrapped up their case against one Iranian- allegedly a member of the Iranian intelligence service - and four Lebanese men accused of the September 1992 killing of a Kurdish opposition leader and three aides in a Berlin restaurant. Iranian protests began on Friday, when prosecutors recommended life imprisonment for two of the defendants. But what really has Iran boiling is testimony introduced by German prosecutors linking the highest officials in the Iranian government to terror. In March, a German court issued an arrest warrant for Iranian intelligence chief Ali Fallahian demanding that he face charges that he ordered the assassinations. As if that were not enough, German prosecutors brought forth witnesses willing to swear that Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei and President Hashemi Rafsanjani bore the ultimate responsibility for the murders. Exiled former Iranian President Abolhassan Banisadr said no attack on Iranian dissidents is carried out without the consent of Messrs. Khamenei and Rafsanjani. Two other witnesses, currently under German police protection, offered similar testimony in secret. One known, as Witness C and reportedly a founding member of the Iranian intelligence service, said that Messrs. Khamenei and Rafsanjani sit on a committee that authorizes all assassinations. While testimony from dissidents must be weighed carefully, federal prosecutors thought it persuasive enough to have asked the court to issue arrest warrants for these two powerful Iranians.

The Iranian government has angrily threatened to sue Germany for libel over such accusations. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati said recently that "If a country insults our values and thinks that Iran will overlook this insult due to economic considerations and political expediencies, it is quite wrong." If the gravity of the charges against Iranian officials isn't enough to discourage Bonn in its efforts at "dialogue," perhaps the foreign minister's statement will help. "Germany," after all, hasn't collectively insulted anyone. Rather, an independent judiciary doing a very courageous job is simply trying to get to the bottom of a murder case.

At least one European government is giving the issue the weight it deserves. In August, Denmark dropped out of the EU's policy of "critical dialogue" with the Iranian regime. Indeed, Copenhagen now is promising to pursue "critical dialogue" with Iran's democratic opposition. Other EU countries are less assertive, but nonetheless engaged. A Paris court sentenced two Iranian government agents in September for conspiracy to assassinate four opposition leaders. The pair will now be tried on murder charges. Also in late September, a French prosecutor followed Germany's lead and accused Iranian intelligence chief Fallahian of ordering one assassination. Judicial sources say an international arrest warrant for him is being considered. There can be little doubt that terrorism still is being waged on European soil, and the identity of the victims, along with the court evidence, strongly suggest that it is state-sponsored. European governments have pledged to fight terrorism, but if courts and prosecutors continue to be asked to carry the full burden of the fight, we probably can look for the body count to continue to rise.

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