Zahra Bahrami was hanged on Saturday 29 Januarys 2011
Dutch government silently watched
one of its citizen being executed by the Islamic Regime in Iran
Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal has frozen all official contacts with Iran, but it’s too little too late now. This and other measures reflect the horror of the execution of the Dutch-Iranian citizen Zahra Bahrami in Iran. Zahra Bahrami was a Dutch- Iranian citizen who was arrested and sent to prison in Iran on 27 December 2009. She was hanged on 29 Januarys 2011. This proves a clear failure of the Dutch government to protect one of its citizens.
Zahra Bahrami’s execution has provoked an international outrage at the barbarous crime committed by the Islamic Regime in Iran. The Islamic regime is infamous for its execution of thousands of innocent people since took power in 1979. It is no surprise that the Islamic Regime has defied all international calls to release Zahra Bahrami, the surprise comes from the slow act of the Dutch government to protect one of its citizen. It took the Dutch Minster of Foreign Affair so long to act on behalf of Zahra, and the Dutch government was so slow in taking any serious action to guarantee her safety until it was too late. Now that she has been executed, the Dutch government has frozen all official contacts with the Islamic Regime in Iran. This is clearly not enough, and far from recalling the Dutch Ambassador from Iran, and sever all ties with the Islamic Regime, a regime with clear record of crime against humanity.
The Dutch Government’s lack of a credible negotiation on behalf of Zahrah Barhami, and lack of a serious intention to pressure the Islamic Regime to release her has lead the Regime in Tehran to carry out this heinous act without facing a real challenge.
Shiva Mahbobi, the spokesperson for Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) has sent numerous letters to the Dutch Foreign minister, and warned him of the consequence of inactivity in this case; she has also warned him of the Islamic Regime’s disregards for all international laws. Mrs Mahbobi has asked the Dutch Government, Foreign minister, and even the Dutch Ambassador in Iran to act fast and to pressure the Islamic Regime to release Zahra, but all these warning fell on deaf ears, and the Dutch government decided to ignore all calls to save Zahra Bahrami.
In a letter on11 January 2011 to Mr. Uri Rosenthal, The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shiva Mahbobi mentioned “The time is running out and her life is in a great danger. Zahra is a Dutch citizen and her rights must be protected by the Dutch government. Failure to do so could send Zahra, an innocent person, to execution, and that short coming would be directly reflected on the Dutch government.” Again no action by the Dutch government.
Since August 2010 the CFPPI has been trying to draw an international attention towards the situation of Zahra by setting up an online petition, sending several letters to the Netherlands’ Foreign minister, contacting media and human rights organisations and holding demonstrations. The CFPPI continuously warned the Dutch government about Zahra’s case, and urged them to act on her behalf. The CFPPI has warned the Dutch government that the only way to prevent Zahra‘s execution is by exerting continuous pressure on the Islamic regime directly, but the Dutch government ignored all calls and continued its silence in this case.
The people of Netherlands ought to condemn the lack of action by the Dutch government to save Zahra Bahrami, and inquire an explanation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. People in Netherlands need to know why their government didn’t take all the necessary measures, including restriction on the travelling of Iranian officials to the Netherlands, as a pressure tool to prevent her execution.
The Dutch government announced they have frozen official contacts with Iran to show their protest to the execution of Dutch-Iranian citizen Zahra Bahrami. This should have been done while Zahra was in prison awaiting her death sentence, this could have been done to save her from execution, but now it’s too little too late. The Dutch government needs to recall its ambassador to Iran, and close Iranian embassy in Netherlands. We ask everyone to show your protest and write to The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sample letter is provided:
Dear Mr Uri Rosenthal
I/we express my utmost anger and outrage over the execution of Zahra Bahrami. Zahra was a Dutch citizen and she should have been protected by the Dutch government. In protest to Zahra Bahrami’s execution we demand that your government must recall its ambassador in Tehran; we demand the closure of Iranian embassy in the Netherlands.
Name/ organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
City/country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Uri Rosenthal
PO Box 20061,2500 EB The Hague, The Netherlands
Telephone: +31 70 3486486 , Fax: + 31 70 3484848
Email form: http://www.minbuza.nl/en/The_Ministry/Contact_the_Ministry/Contact_us/General_questions_and_comments
Or email address: u.rosenthal@minbuza.nl
Please send a copy to: catherine.ashton@ec.europa.eu , eastgulf@amnesty.org
