ID :
162387
Sun, 02/20/2011 - 08:47
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/162387
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Families make clemency plea for German reporters detained in Iran
Berlin, Feb 20, IRNA -- The sisters of two German reporters detained in Iran urged the Tehran government to grant them clemency ahead of next month's Persian New Year's festivities, the Hamburg-based weekly Der Spiegel said Saturday in a report on its website.
Miriam Lobinsky and Christina Hellwig made a clemency plea for their brothers Marcus Hellwig and Jens Koch both of whom were arrested in Tabriz on October 10 when they tried to illegally interview the son and lawyer of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a woman convicted of being an accomplice in the murder of her husband.
Many prisoners have been pardoned in Iran over the past years before the start of the March 21 Norooz fest. We are asking the leadership in Tehran to also pardon Marcus and Jens, the sisters were quoted saying.
The initiative is reportedly backed by the German foreign ministry, saying the sisters' clemency plea is 'being taken seriously' and will be forwarded via diplomatic channels.
Meanwhile, the sisters of the German journalists voiced also hope that German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle would travel to Tehran in a bid to seek an early release of the detainees.
Last month, Germany had sent deputy foreign minister, Wolf-Ruthart Born to Tehran as part of diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Koch and Hellwig./end
Miriam Lobinsky and Christina Hellwig made a clemency plea for their brothers Marcus Hellwig and Jens Koch both of whom were arrested in Tabriz on October 10 when they tried to illegally interview the son and lawyer of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a woman convicted of being an accomplice in the murder of her husband.
Many prisoners have been pardoned in Iran over the past years before the start of the March 21 Norooz fest. We are asking the leadership in Tehran to also pardon Marcus and Jens, the sisters were quoted saying.
The initiative is reportedly backed by the German foreign ministry, saying the sisters' clemency plea is 'being taken seriously' and will be forwarded via diplomatic channels.
Meanwhile, the sisters of the German journalists voiced also hope that German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle would travel to Tehran in a bid to seek an early release of the detainees.
Last month, Germany had sent deputy foreign minister, Wolf-Ruthart Born to Tehran as part of diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Koch and Hellwig./end
