Canada presses for international investigation into Kazemi 'murder' in Iran
ALEXANDER PANETTA
OTTAWA (CP) - Canada has demanded an international forensic investigation into the torture and death of Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi in Iran, saying it is fed up with Iranian "lies" and "coverups."
But the Iranian reaction was apparently lukewarm when Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew made the request in a telephone conversation Tuesday with his Iranian counterpart, Kamal Kharazi.
Kharazi again dismissed an Iranian-born doctor's claims that Kazemi suffered savage torture, Canadian sources said.
Pettigrew remained undeterred.
His toughly-worded message was aimed at casting the spotlight on Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who was attending a United Nations conference Tuesday in Paris.
"We will continue to put pressure on Iran," Pettigrew said.
"This is something on which we will not give up. We know that in Iran it is lies, it is coverups that are being presented to us."
The Liberal government has been hammered for keeping its ambassador in Iran despite allegations of torture from the exiled Iranian doctor who examined the 54-year-old woman after her June 2003 arrest.
Doctor Shahram Azam fled to Canada and last week held a news conference to reveal details of brutal injuries inflicted on the Iranian-Canadian citizen.
Iran has discounted the doctor's account of how Kazemi died after she was arrested taking photos outside a Tehran prison.
In his phone conversation with Pettigrew, Kharazi said the doctor was lying and never even worked at the hospital where he supposedly examined Kazemi, sources said.
That official Iranian government line was also trumpeted in a report last week by the country's Islamic Republic News Agency.
The report never named Azam or the hospital but, citing Iranian officials, said "the man" was unknown to his supposed hospital colleagues.
Canada is demanding that Iran agree to a three-party investigation with representatives from Iran, Canada and the international community.
"Dr. Azam's story reinforces our belief that this was a murder," said Sebastien Theberge, a Pettigrew spokesman.
"Now the ball is in Iran's court."
Canada timed its demand to put pressure on the reform-minded president of the Islamic republic.
Khatami delivered a speech Tuesday to hundreds of foreign dignitaries in Paris at the conference of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The Iranian leader was also a guest of French President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee palace.
But countries at that gathering should know that Iran's behaviour in the Kazemi affair violates the spirit of the UNESCO meeting, Theberge said.
"(This event) was supposed to be about tolerating dissent, sharing values and looking beyond our differences," Theberge said.
"We think this behaviour is, from Iran, a habit of double-speak, coverup and lies."
Ottawa's representative at UNESCO, Yvon Charbonneau, will spread Canada's message at the conference, sources said.
Canada has also denounced the Iranian government before the United Nations.
But Conservative critic Stockwell Day blasted the Liberal government for maintaining diplomatic ties with Iran despite being aware of Azam's claims.
"Why did (Prime Minister Paul Martin) respond so weakly, by sending our ambassador back to Iran instead of pulling our ambassador out?" Day said.
'''April 6, 2005'''

Canada pulled out of a trade conference with the Iranian Government after discussions surrounding the alleged torture and death of photo-journalist Zahra Kazemi fell through. The move comes after accusations by Canada that a Canadian journalist, Kazemi, was savagely attacked in Iran. The allegation was denied by Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Kamal Kharazi on Tuesday. Canadian ministers have since responded by calling for an international forensic investigation into the Kazemi case.

"We will continue to put pressure on Iran,"  Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said yesterday. "This is something on which we will not give up. We know that in Iran it is lies, it is coverups that are being presented to us."

The allegations stem from Iranian born Doctor Shahram Azam, who fled to Canada and revealed last week how he examined Kazemi in June 2003, following her arrest in Iran. Azam told reporters that Kazemi was brought to him by Iranian authorities with severe injuries that were said to have been inflicted whilst in custody. Kharazi dismissed Azam's claims, adding that he has never worked at the hospital in which he claims he treated Kazemi.