Austrian MPs sponsor 183 prisoners in Iran, some of whom are sentenced to death. With the action and letter to the Iranian ambassador in Vienna and members of parliament in Iran, the representatives of the ÖVP, SPÖ, Groenen and NEOS want to draw international attention to the prisoners, they stated on Tuesday. The FPÖ is not taking part in the action.
After the National Council unanimously condemned the imposition of the death penalty in connection with the protests in Iran, the four parties believed “that we should give the motion more weight,” said Reinhold Lopatka, the ÖVP’s foreign policy spokesman. . Because the FPÖ MPs did not want to take on sponsorship, 31 MPs stepped in to come up with the number 183 anyway.
Stop executions – “one minute before 12”
It is primarily about stopping the wave of executions – it is already “1 minute to 12”, said Harald Troch of the SPÖ. The parliament takes its responsibility, but the federal government has no information policy regarding the activities of the Austrian embassy in Iran. Troch also recalled Austrian-Iranian national Kamran Ghaderi, who had been imprisoned in Iran for years, and called on the State Department to work for an early release.
“International attention means protection”
“International attention means protection for prisoners, that is the most effective means,” Green Club president Sigrid Maurer explains the action. “The barbarity of the Iranian regime” is unacceptable, and the officials regularly request information about the whereabouts of the detainees. Maurer himself sponsored journalist Niloufar Hamedi, who was arrested in police custody for reporting on the death of young Kurd Mahsa Amini.
Brandstätter godfather for rappers
NEOS mandatar Helmut Brandstätter is the godfather of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi. According to Islamic legal opinion, the prominent musician has been charged with “war against God” and “corruption on earth” after videos of him calling for participation in the protests. Both charges could lead to a death sentence. A human rights lawyer explained to him: “There is only one chance to save his life, that is international pressure,” said Brandstätter.
Two executions carried out, many more could follow
According to human rights activists, at least 18,000 participants in Iran’s systemic demonstrations, which have been going on for almost three months, have so far been arrested. Two protesters have been executed in recent weeks and at least 23 others are at risk of the death penalty, according to media reports.
Source: Krone
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