DUTCH-FUNDED MEDIA PROGRAMS FACE IRANIAN HARASSMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000194

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2017
TAGS: PHUM EUN KDEM KPAO PREL IR NL
SUBJECT: DUTCH-FUNDED MEDIA PROGRAMS FACE IRANIAN HARASSMENT

REF: A. THE HAGUE 184


B. 06 THE HAGUE 2661 (NOTAL)

C. 06 THE HAGUE 2634 (NOTAL)

THE HAGUE 00000194 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew J. Schofer; reasons 1.4 (b an
d d).


1. (SBU) Summary: Three participants in a Dutch-sponsored
media diversity program were arrested Janaury 27, on their
way to a training session in India. They were released the
next day. Iranian authorities have reportedly filed charges
and accused the Dutch government of acting as a conduit for
U.S. funding. Twelve other participants were prevented from
travelling to the training program. The incident follows
similar problems in late 2006. So far, the Dutch reaction
has been muted. End summary.

Iranian participants in Dutch program arrested January 27
-------------- --------------


2. (SBU) Dutch MFA Human Rights Policy Officer Sonja van der
Meer confirmed that three participants in a Dutch-funded
media training program were arrested January 27 as they
attempted to depart for a training seesion in India. The
three women - Mansoureh Shodjayi, Talaat Taghinia, and Farnaz
Seyfi - are all, according to van der Meer, active women's
rights campaigners and have been involved in a signature
campaign aimed at changing discriminatory legislation. Van
der Meer said it was not clear to the Dutch MFA whether the
women were detained as a result of their participation in the
Dutch program or in the signature campaign. All three were
released the next day. Charges have reportedly been filed,
and the Dutch embassy in Tehran has been in touch with the
women's lawyer.


3. (SBU) The women were flying to India to participate in a
training program organized by Sharhzad News, which is
affiliated with Radio Netherlands (ref C). Twelve other
participants in the program were prevented from boarding the
same flight, according to van der Meer, but were not arrested
or charged.


4. (SBU) The incident was picked up by the Dutch national NRC
Handelsblad (front page) and the BBC Monitoring Service on
January 30. NRC Handelsblad quoted Iranian human rights
lawyer Shirin Ebadi, who is representing the three women, as
saying that the Iranian government accuses the Netherlands of
acting as a conduit for U.S. funding. The charges against
the women, according to the paper, include "participating in
workshops organized by anti-revolutionary forces." MFA's van
der Meer could not confirm this aspect of the story but noted
that the Iranians have previously objected to Dutch funding
of U.S.-based Freedom House.

Harassment of Dutch-funded programs not new
--------------


5. (SBU) The January 27 arrests follow incidents in late
2006, when participants in Dutch-funded programs also faced
harassment and detention. On November 21, two journalists
were detained after returning from a training program in the
Netherlands. They were later released. On December 4, a
Netherlands-based trainer participating in Press Now's
training program was expelled from Iran (ref C).

Official Dutch reaction restrained
--------------


6. (C) Van der Meer told poloff that the Dutch government had
not approached the GOI about the arrests. For now, said v/d
Meer, the Dutch embassy in Tehran would maintain close
contact with the women's lawyer, Shirin Ebadi. Raising the
foreign profile of the case might not serve the women's
interest, she continued, and the Dutch would probably rely
heavily in this respect on Ebadi's advice. MFA Iran desk
officer Loek ten Hagen informed post (ref B) that the GONL
had also declined to raise the November and December
incidents with the GOI. In a December 7 meeting with Iranian
Foreign Minister Mottaki (ref B),Dutch Foreign Minister Bot
chose instead to raise the detention of Dutch-Iranian human
rights activist (and former leader of the Ahwazi Liberation
Organization) Faleh Abdullah al-Mansouri (ref B, update
septel).

Dutch sensitivity to association with U.S. programs

THE HAGUE 00000194 002.2 OF 002


-------------- --------------


7. (C) Van der Meer and Deputy Head of the MFA's Human Rights
Division, Birgitta Tazelaar, have both made clear the MFA's
desire to work - and be seen as working - independently of
the U.S. They cite recipients' discomfort with being
associated with foreign funding, much less U.S. funding. Van
der Meer opined that, if the charges against the three
activists arrested January 27 included allegations that the
Netherlands was acting as a conduit for U.S. money, the MFA
"would have to react."
ARNALL