Tehran slams U.S. ruling to sell Iranian million-dollar property

TEHRAN,Apr.20(MNA) – Iran has slammed the U.S. decision to sell an Iranian charity building in Manhattan, saying the move runs contrary to the realities on the ground and is void of credibility and legal validity. According to a court document filed on Thursday, a U.S. judge agreed to sell the building, owned by the Alavi Foundation, and other Iranian forfeited assets on charges of “money laundering”, “illegal sanctions-violation”, and to reimburse the victims of terrorist attacks allegedly sponsored by Iran. “Contrary to the (U.S.) prosecutor’s baseless allegations and the court’s political and propagandistic ruling, the New York Alavi Foundation is an independent charity organization in the United States and has no links with Iran,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said on Friday. She also dismissed as “ridiculous” the claims that Iran was involved in the September 11 incidents, stressing that Iran is itself a victim of terrorism. These plans, which are devised to put pressure on Iran and serve political purposes, undermine the credibility of the U.S. judiciary, she said. According to its website, the Alavi Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to promote charitable and philanthropic causes through educational, religious and cultural programs and promotes Islamic culture and Persian language, literature and civilization.