Wednesday, July 22nd 2015

July 23: Protest Against Iran Business Conference at Austrian Economic Chamber WKO

STOP THE BOMB demonstrates against Iranian Industry Minister in Vienna

The coalition STOP THE BOMB will be holding a protest rally in Vienna against the "Iran-EU-Conference" at the Austrian Economic Chamber WKO on Thursday, 23 July, from 8-9am. Among the conference participants are WKO-President Christoph Leitl and the Iranian Industry & Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh.

Stefan Schaden, spokesperson for STOP THE BOMB in Austria, sharply criticizes the event: "70 years after the Shoah, Austrian and German companies are in the first row to boost business ties with the anti-Semitic Iranian regime. While the implementation of the nuclear deal has not even started and the sanctions on Iran are still in place, Austria’s WKO beats the big drum for increasing trade with the Holocaust deniers and Israel haters in Iran."

Stephan Grigat, the Research Director of STOP THE BOMB, explains: "At this point it remains completely unclear when the sanctions, which are all still in place, will be removed in consequence of the Vienna nuclear agreement, which still holds many hurdles. This conference shows, however, that billions of Euros are set to flow to the Iranian mullahs as a result of the deal. This will enable the regime to sponsor its terror proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah and to enforce its aggressive expansion in the region in unprecedented ways."

Hiwa Bahrami, who represents the Democratic Party of Kurdistan-Iran in Austria and Germany, voices his criticism: "Conducting business with the Iranian regime is a stab in the back of the Iranian opposition. The terror against the Iranian population will not decrease, but increase. Already now more people have been executed under supposedly 'moderate' President Rouhani than under his predecessor Ahmadinejad."