To:        Officers, Rabbis, Synagogue Leadership

From:   Richard B. Stone, Chairman
             Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affairs

RE:     13 Arrested Iranian Jews--Special Shabbat of Solidarity

As you know, as the trial of the 13 arrested Iranian Jews concludes, we expect that a verdict may be announced within the next week or two if there are no delaying tactics.

In the June 13^th proceedings, four of the accused Iranian Jews recanted their confessions, asserting that they had been made under duress, and one of the Muslims who was accused of being part of the alleged plot denied all of the charges against him. 

There have been two interesting developments.  One is the release of 602 prisoners as part of an amnesty marking Mohammed’s birthday.  The second is a petition signed by 115 lawmakers protesting some practices of the judiciary, particularly the closed trials.  No specific linkage was made to the case of the 13, although some believe that it is related because of the damage done to Iran’s national image.

Immediate action requested:  As we await an upcoming verdict, the representatives of the 13 Iranian families have asked for a continuation of the prayer vigils and recitation of Tehillim and participation in a community--wide petition campaign.  To that end, this coming Shabbat, June 25^th, has been designated as a special Shabbat of Solidarity and of prayer dedicated to the 13 arrested Iranian Jews.  The OU/IPA is encouraging all of our member synagogues to participate in this national Shabbat and to recite Tehillim on behalf of the Iran 13.  We continue to recommend that chapters 20, 120, 121, 130, and 142 of Tehillim be recited. OU.ORG has provided a list of the names of the 13 arrested Iranian Jews.

An international petition is being circulated by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and our European counterparts urging their immediate release.  This petition is available from the OU/IPA office, 212-613-8123, or by accessing our website at www.ou.org and e-mailing in your signature.  We are also requesting synagogues to print out the petition and circulate it among all their members.  We are hoping to gather at least 1 million signatures and to get this petition to Ayatollah Khamemi and President Khatami in Iran.

Many diplomatic efforts on the part of countries and human rights organizations all over the world are continuing.  Many initiatives have been undertaken by several parliaments, including the United States Congress, that will adopt measures that will link the verdict with economic implications for Iran.  Congress continues to begin each day with a presentation on the Iran 13.  We have called on all our members to urge their Representatives not to support the further lifting of any sanctions on Iran until Iran demonstrates a clear change in its policies towards terrorism and its treatment of minorities.

Again, this is a most sensitive time and there are many developments that may still impact the verdict.  The above-mentioned steps have been undertaken after consultation with the families of the 13 arrested Iranian Jews and those most knowledgeable and closest to conditions in Iran.

We urge all our member synagogues to participate in this special Shabbat of Solidarity for the Iran 13.  Kindly feel free to call us at 212-613-8124 with any questions you may have. 

Tizku Le’Mitzvot.

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