Monday, November 4th 2013

Austria continues courting the Iranian regime

STOP THE BOMB criticizes Iran visit of Austrian State Secretary Lopatka

The coalition STOP THE BOMB strongly criticizes Austrian State Secretary Reinhold Lopatka for his trip to Iran. Lopatka, presumably the next leader of the Austrian People’s Party’s parliamentary group, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Sunday.

The spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB, Stefan Schaden, declares: "It seems Austria is currently fulfilling with great passion its traditional vanguard role in courting the Iranian regime. To get business with Iran back on track, the Austrian Foreign Ministry turns a blind eye to the continued nuclear program and the continued brutal oppression of the Iranian population under Rouhani. For instance, the rate of executions accelerated during the days just before Lopatka’s visit."

Stephan Grigat, Scientific Director of STOP THE BOMB, points to the newest attacks against Israel made by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Sunday: "While Lopatka helps the Iranian regime regain legitimacy, Khamenei called Israel a 'illegitimate bastard regime'. On his website, Khamenei until today calls the Holocaust a 'myth'. At the same time, Foreign Minister Zarif declared that uranium enrichment to 20% would continue. A misguided Iran policy like Lopatka’s has a share in the responsibility for a situation, where the Iranian regime may soon present the world with a fait accompli regarding its nuclear option."