MURDER IN 1998, MOST SIGNIFICANT CONCERN IN IRAN - INTERIOR MINISTER TEHRAN, JAN 29 (KUNA) -- IRAN'S INTELLIGENCE MINISTER ALI YUNESSI SAID SUNDAY THAT THE 1998 SERIAL MURDERS OF INTELLECTUALS AND POLITICAL DISSIDENTS WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL CONCERN IN IRAN OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.
"DUE TO PREJUDICES AND SUSPICION OF THE INVESTIGATORS AND THE DOMINANT POLITICAL CLIMATE, THE DOSSIER TURNED OUT TO BE A COMPLICATED ONE," YUNESSI WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC NEWS AGENCY (IRNA). HE SAID THAT THE DOSSIER GAVE RISE TO CERTAIN SOCIAL CRISES WHICH HAD REPERCUSSIONS WITHIN THE INTELLIGENCE MINISTRY.
A MILITARY COURT ON SATURDAY SENTENCED THREE SECRET AGENTS TO DEATH AND 12 OTHERS TO TERMS UP TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR THEIR PART IN THE 1998 MURDERS OF SECULAR DISSIDENTS THAT SHOCKED THE COUNTRY. THREE OF THE 18 DEFENDANTS WERE ACQUITTED.
YUNESSI SAID THAT THE CREATED SOCIAL CRISES ARE ON THE WAY OUT, THANKS TO THE TOUGH STANCE ADOPTED BY THE SUPREME LEADER, AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI AND PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD KHATAMI.
"IT WAS NOT A COMMON CRIME. THE MURDERERS WERE POLITICAL FIGURES," HE SAID.
YUNESSI DEFENDED THE RULINGS ISSUED FOR THE CASE, SAYING THE JUDGE'S STATEMENT IS TAKEN AS THE CONCLUSIVE ARGUMENT'. ALL THE VERDICTS CAN BE APPEALED TO THE SUPREME COURT WITHIN 20 DAYS.
ALL BUT TWO OF THE DEFENDANTS CONFESSED TO SOME ROLE IN THE MURDERS OF NATIONALIST LEADER DARIUSH FORUHAR AND HIS WIFE AS WELL AS OUTSPOKEN WRITERS MOHAMMAD JAFAR POUYANDEH AND MOHAMMAD-ALI MOKHTARI. (END) NAS.BK KUNA 291813 Jan 01NNNN