European Countries Join Demanding End of Baha'i Persecution

January 3, 1983

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 46626 BAYT I L ‘ 04 1983
 418036 BAHAI D JA n Y1
 TLX 645
 3 JANUARY 1983
 FOLLOWING MESSAGE HAS BEEN SHARED WIOE BIC NEW YORK TODAY VIA
 TELEX:
 REFER TELEX BIC NEW YORK 30 DECEMBER 1982 DEVELOPMENT ZANJAN
WE CONTACTED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOREIGN OFFICE BONN GERMANY
AND APPEALED ITS INTERVENTION BEHALF TWO BAHAIS ZANJAN. FOREIGN
          OFFICE INFORMED US FOLLOWING NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

1. ON 27 DECEMBER 1982 THE TEN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES JOINED BY
AUSTRALIA, NORWAY, PORTUGAL, SWITZERLAND AND SWEDEN MADE OFFICIAL
DEMARCHE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT TEHERAN STRONGLY DEMANDING END
PERSECUTIONS BAHAIS REFERING RECENT WAVE IMPRISONMENTS EXECUTIONS
SHIRAZ. DECISION TO MAKE THIS NEW DEMARCHE OBTAINED DURING RECENT
MEETING OF THE TEN IN KOPENHAGEN AND CARRIED OUT BY AMBASSADOR
OF DENMARK WHOSE COUNTRY HELD PRESIDENCY OF TEN TILL 31 DEC 82.
BEGINNING JANUARY 1 GERMAN GOVERNMENT HOLDS PRESIDENCY.

2. PARRALLEL FINNISH GOVERNMENT CITED IRANIAN REPRESENTATIVE
 HELSINKI AND EXPRESSED ITS CONCERN ABOUT PLIGHT BAHAIS IRAN.

3. REGARDING OUR APPEAL ON BEHALF TWO BAHAIS ZANJAN, GERMAN
FOREIGN OFFICE ALSO RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM GOVERNMENT NETHERLANDS
SUPPORTING SUGGESTING POSSIBLE JOINT INTERVENTION. HOWEVER,
 GERMAN GOVERNMENT FEELS AT MOMENT NOT APPROPRIATE TO INTERVENE
 BECAUSE OF RECENT DEMARCHE 27 DEC.
WE THEN SUGGESTED THAT GERMAN AMBASSADOR TEHERAN TAKES NEXT
 CONVENIENT OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS GOVERNMENTS CONCERN FATE THIS
SPECIFIC CASE. FOREIGN OFFICE AGREED THIS PROCEDURE.
+++AFTER THIS COMMUNiCATION WITH FOREIGN OFFICE WE RECEIVED
MESSAGE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE JANUARY 3 RECENT EXECUTION
 SHIRAZ. BASED ON THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT WE WILL AGAIN APPEAL
 TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER INTERVENTION TWO BAHAIS
 PARRALLEL TO DEMARCHE 27 DEC.
CHRISTOPHER SPRUNG FOR THE SECRETARY, N.S.A. GERMANY