DATE=7/10/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=GERMANY / IRAN (L-O)
NUMBER=2-264254
BYLINE=JONATHAN BRAUDE
DATELINE=BERLIN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Thousands of protesters gathered in the center
of Berlin to demonstrate against the visit of Iran's
President Mohammad Khatami. Jonathan Braude reports
from Berlin the demonstrators say the numbers would
have been greater if the German government had not
intervened.
TEXT: The crowd was good humored and listened
peacefully to speeches and music despite rain. But
the flags and banners carried the unmistakable message
- President Khatami is a murderer. If you want
reform, support the opposition.
With five-thousand police guarding the exits to every
subway station, patrolling the streets of the city and
overseeing the crowd there was little room for doubt
if matters got out of hand.
A member of the foreign affairs committee of the
Iranian National Council of Resistance, Hussein
Abedini, said German police had attacked the homes and
hostels of Iranian refugees earlier and arrested at
least 80-people. Police had also done their best to
prevent others even reaching Berlin.
/// ACT ABEDINI ///
In the first place, they sent hundreds of
letters to the supporters of the resistance,
threatening them if they left their cities to
join this demonstration they would face heavy
prison sentences and heavy fines. We have got
hundreds of copies of these letters. But I am
sure there have been more and more cases. They
also have stopped many buses carrying Iranians
to Berlin.
// OPT // I know especially in Munich,
Stuttgart, and Nuremberg most of the buses were
stopped and most of the people there arrested by
the police. And apart from all this, they have
closed all the borders. The airports have been
closed. It was last night that the Minister of
the Interior actually acknowledged that they
have returned many Iranians from the borders.
Altogether, we know that there have been eight-
thousand Iranians who were prevented from
joining this demonstration today. // END OPT //
/// END ACT ///
None of this has stopped President Khatami's visit.
He is the first Iranian head of state to visit Germany
since 1967. The visit is part of his campaign to
improve Iran's relations with the West and to present
himself as a reformer.
Many members of the German parliament support the
protests. The head of the parliament's human-rights
committee, Claudia Roth, has said Iran's human-rights
violations justify the demonstrations that Germany has
tried to control, despite the constitutional
commitment to the right to freedom of expression.
(SIGNED)
NEB/JB/GE/AG/RAE
10-Jul-2000 10:29 AM EDT (10-Jul-2000 1429 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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