May 4, 2000

To:         Officers, Rabbis, Synagogue Leadership 
From:    Richard B. Stone, Chairman

Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affair

Re:       13 Arrested Iranian Jews- Update

As you know, the OU has been monitoring the events regarding the 13 arrested Iranian Jews in close consultation with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.  The Iranian court was convened in two closed sessions on May 1^st.  Neither representatives of human rights organizations, the press, foreign ambassadors or members of the families who requested to be present were allowed entrance to the courtroom.  The confession of Hamid (Donni) Tefilin was broadcast on Iranian TV which was the only television media outlet allowed into the courtroom and only for that episode, clearly orchestrated and coerced by the Iranian government.  There is no evidence of any espionage regarding any of the 13 Iranian Jews, including Tefilin, nor have their lawyers been notified of the specific charges.

We remain deeply concerned about these 13 arrested Iranian Jews and the fact that most have not been able to choose their own lawyers and are being represented by lawyers designated by the judge who is also the prosecutor.  The trials will reportedly continue for the next few weeks, or longer, and only at the end of all the trials will sentences be meted out.

Intensive diplomatic efforts continue on the international level, particularly regarding Iran’s pending request for a loan from the World Bank.  The United States, Canada and some European countries have expressed opposition to a loan, or at least an indefinite postponement until the fate of the arrested Iranian Jews is determined.  The UN Human Rights Commission criticized Iran for its treatment of religious minorities in a resolution passed last week.

As we reported in previous action alerts, due to the extremely sensitive situation in Iran, mass street demonstrations at this time are viewed as counter productive and small prayer vigils continue to be encouraged.  Calls and letters to elected officials, members of the administration, representatives of foreign countries (except for Iran), and human rights organizations should continue as before. (See OU Action Alert of April 7, 2000).  Talking points for your communications are listed below:

• The closed nature of the trial is unacceptable and only underscores the innocence of the defendants.  Foreign representatives and human rights observers should be allowed into the courtroom in the interest of justice, not at a time that serves the interests of the Iranian Revolutionary Court.

• The confessions by the defendants are coerced and not credible.  There is no evidence of any activity in any of the defendants’ files that would support these so called confessions.  The proceedings relied exclusively on taped interrogations of the defendants who were asked if they know people in or have traveled to Israel- this is not a crime.  Again, the lawyers who are not of the defendants choosing still have not been apprised of the specific charges being made against the Iranian Jews, nor have the lawyers had access to their clients.  Even though Iran’s judiciary is in the hands of the hard-liners, the Khatemi government has ultimate responsibility for what will take place.

• No journalists aside from Iran State TV has had access to Hamid Tefilin.  Iran has a history of parading prisoners who “confess” on television.

• Hard-line newspapers in Iran (the only ones that are still in operation) have attacked the local Jewish community for standing by the 13.  Nevertheless, a number of members in the community have bravely spoken out against the trial- this is a new development.

• The fate of these thirteen innocent people and the Jewish community in Iran must not be tied to the political struggle taking place inside Iran between President Muhammed Khatemi and Ayatollah Ali Khameni.

A special prayer service will be held at the Kotel in Yerushalayim on Thursday, May 4 at 4:30 P.M. Israel time, 9:30 A.M. EST.  We are asking our member synagogues to hold parallel vigils on that same day.  Please see our website at www.ou.org for further information.

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) will introduce a resolution on behalf of the 13 arrested Iranian Jews today.  Congressional representatives should be urged to sign on to the resolution.  Please contact your senators and ask them to contact Kirk Jameson or Stuart Gottlieb in Senator Schumer’s office at (202-224-6542).  Also contact your Representatives and ask them to call Congressman Gilman’s (R-NY) staff at 202-225-5021.

We will continue to update you with new information as soon as it becomes available.  Please share with us any reports of what your community is planning and copies of any notices, press communications and statements.  We can be reached at 212-613-8124 with any questions you may have.

Tizku l’mitzvot

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