03/02/2011
Zahra Bahrami was executed in Iran for her political views and not drug trafficking
But Nieuwsuur TV alters the real motive behind Zahra Bahrami’s execution!
Everyone knows that Zahra was executed for her participation in anti-government demonstrations in Iran. But on Monday 31 February 2011, only two days after the news of Zahra Bahrami’s execution, a Dutch Current affairs TV program called Nieuwsuur reported a documentary program showing that in 2003 Mrs. Bahrami was sentenced to three years in prison in Holland for attempting to smuggle 16 kilos of cocaine. This news was repeated by the Islamic Regime’s affiliated TV program Press TV. In this program deliberate attempts were made to water down and question real reason behind Zahra’s execution. Nieuwsuur TV never made any reference to the torture she has endured by the order of the Islamic Regime for participating in anti-government demonstrations in Iran. Instead, the main emphasize and focus was on her drug conviction in Netherland, and not the despicable and “barbarous” act of executing Zahra Bahrami’s as a Dutch-Iranian citizen. The timing of this program was carefully and deliberately chosen to be two days after her execution to support the claims made by the Islamic Regime that Zahra was executed for drug trafficking and not for partaking in anti Islamic Regime demonstrations.
Does Nieuwsuur TV trying to prove that the Islamic Regimes has executed Zahra for drug trafficking? Does Nieuwsuur TV has any doubts that executing Zahra which the Dutch Foreign minister called “barbarous” and froze all contact with Islamic Regime was a crime? Is Niewsuur trying to convince the Dutch government to ease the diplomatic relations with Islamic Regime? Does Nieuwsuur TV even care that one of the Dutch citizens was innocently hanged by one of the most barbaric regime on earth? Who’s side in Nieuwsuur TV, human rights or dictatorship?
The Islamic regime accused Zahra of smuggling drug to Iran; this is nonsense. The drug charge was a pure fabrication to legitimize her execution. This is not the first time that regime uses this pretext; they have used this excuse to execute lots of the political prisoners and silence the critics. Regime uses this excuse because it is afraid of the anti-government protests in Iran, and to silence the international criticism.
Zahra Bahrami’s convictions in Holland have nothing to do with her being executed by the Islamic Regime for her political activities. Zahra Bahrami participated in demonstrations in Tehran in December 2009 against the regime, she was vocal against the brutality of the regime, and she has done several interviews with opposition’s radios based in the US and Europe openly accusing the Islamic heads of state ordering killing and imprisonment of thousands of innocent demonstrators.
The Dutch TV program and those who are focusing on her offences in Holland, rather than her political activities against Islamic Regime have political motivations, and are trying to legitimize this brutal act of the regime in Iran. If the Dutch media would have invested on exposing the real reason behind her conviction in Iran, they could have most probably be able to save her, and she could been alive now. The question now is: does Nieuwsuur TV support Zahra’s execution by the Islamic Regime in Iran? If not, why not publicly condemn her execution?
The Dutch current affairs TV program Nieuwsuur owes and apology to Zahra Bahrami’s family, and all those people and organizations that fought hard to save Zahra.
Shiva Mahbobi
Spokesperson- CFPPI
Cc: Nieuwsuur TV