Iran says Brazil offer of asylum a Western ruse

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani

Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry described Lula da Silva’s offer of asylum to the woman sentenced to stoning in Iran “a Western conspiracy to interfere in international relations of countries.”

Over two weeks ago, Lula da Silva urged Mahmoud Ahmadienjad to allow Brazil to offer asylum to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani whose sentence of death by stoning had created international outrage against Iran.

The international campaign against the stoning led Iranian judiciary to put a stop to the stoning sentence.

Mehmanparast described Brazilian president’s offer as an expression of his “humane nature and close relationship with Iran.”

He added that Western countries are using this incident strategically to create a rift between Iran and Brazil, in view of the fact that they have not been able to halt Iran’s nuclear activities and are also “upset” over the Tehran declaration which marked a consensus between Iran, Turkey and Brazil regarding Iran’s international nuclear disputes.

In the Tehran declaration, Iran agreed to swap its low-enriched uranium with nuclear fuel provided by the West for its reactor in Turkish territory; however, Western powers rejected the agreement which led to Brazil and Turkey voting against the UN resolution in June to impose fresh sanctions on Iran.

Mehmanparast went on to say: “If in human societies we were expected to release those who commit serious crimes, we would also have to ask you to release your murderers.”

Last week, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani confessed on TV to participating in the murder of her husband.

Amnesty International contends that the confession was coerced and fabricated.

In an earlier interview with the British daily Guardian, Mohammadi Ashtiani was quoted as saying: “Iranian officials are lying about her crime and are trying to execute her in secret.”