Thursday, April 22nd 2010

SCANDALOUS MEETING WITH IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN VIENNA

STOP THE BOMB announces protest

On Sunday, April 25th, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger will welcome the foreign minister of the Iranian regime, Manouchehr Mottaki, in Vienna. The coalition STOP THE BOMB strongly condemns the courting of this prominent figure of Tehran's anti-Semitic regime; a regime, which organizes Holocaust denial conferences as a part of its foreign policy; a regime that threatens Israel with annihilation and does everything to achieve the means to carry out its threats.

The reception of Mottaki is also a slap in the face of the Iranian freedom movement, as stated by Hiwa Bahrami of the Democratic Party Kurdistan-Iran: "Austrian politicians should finally support the democratic and secular Iranian opposition and meet their representatives from Iran and in exile for official talks, rather than welcome the regime with open arms as Austria regularly does."

STOP THE BOMB spokeswoman Simone Dinah Hartmann underlines the scandalous character of Mottaki's visit to Vienna: "Again and again, Austria proves to be a most reliable friend of the Iranian regime, both economically and politically. The reception of the Iranian foreign minister is an unfortunate political upgrade for the largely isolated regime and thus knowingly undermines the international efforts to exert pressure on the Iranian regime."

STOP THE BOMB will stage a protest rally at the announced photo session and press conference unless Mottaki's visit is cancelled.