Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CANBERRA365
2009-04-09 06:43:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:
AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR IN TEHRAN DEMARCHES IRANIAN
how-toVZCZCXRO3269 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK DE RUEHBY #0365 0990643 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 090643Z APR 09 FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1352 INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 3576 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1162 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 1313 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 0521 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY 0018 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 5730 RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE PRIORITY 6244 RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH PRIORITY 4507 RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 4464 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0779
S E C R E T CANBERRA 000365
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA ERICA THIBAULT, NEA/IR,NEA,S/SAGSWA,P
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL CASC EZ IN IR NO NZ TU VT
EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR IN TEHRAN DEMARCHES IRANIAN
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER ABOUT MS SABERI
REF: A. STATE 30046 B. CANBERRA 00326 C. CANBERRA 00334
Classified By: Political Counselor, James F. Cole, for reasons 1.4 (b)
ands (c)
Summary
-------
S E C R E T CANBERRA 000365
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA ERICA THIBAULT, NEA/IR,NEA,S/SAGSWA,P
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL CASC EZ IN IR NO NZ TU VT
EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR IN TEHRAN DEMARCHES IRANIAN
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER ABOUT MS SABERI
REF: A. STATE 30046 B. CANBERRA 00326 C. CANBERRA 00334
Classified By: Political Counselor, James F. Cole, for reasons 1.4 (b)
ands (c)
Summary
--------------
1. (S/NF) The Australian ambassador in Tehran demarched
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Akhmondzadeh on April 7 on
behalf of Ms Saberi. Akhomdzadeh, just back from The Hague,
expressed surprise to learn that Saberi had not yet been
released. The Australian Embassy believes that the GOI
indictment of Saberi simply marks the prelimary investigative
stage, and reflects an internecine conflict within the
Iranian bureacracy. End summary.
2. (S/NF) Hugh Jeffrey, Desk Officer in the Middle East
Section at DFAT, told POLOFF that besides the demarche to
the Iranian ambassador in Canberra (reftel C),the Australian
ambassador to Iran Marc Innes-Brown, on April 7 delivered a
message on behalf of Ms Saberi to the Iranian Deputy Foreign
Minister for the Asian and Pacific Region, Mr. Akhmondzadeh.
3. (S/NF) The deputy minister told the ambassador that Ms
Saberi had been released and was somewhat shocked to be
advised that she was still in custody. He had been at the
Hague at the recent Afghanistan conference and apparently
believed that the request from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) would easily influence people in the Interior
Ministry and Justice.
4. (S/NF) Hugh told us that the Iranian government was such a
nest of fiefdoms that officials are constantly thumbing their
noses at each other's attempts to accomplish something. He
did not think that the MFA was unwilling to have her
released, quite the contrary; however, people in the Iranian
Foreign Ministry reminded him that a whiff of gasoline is all
that is needed for an indictment for arson--she had been
denied press credentials and she had continued to file
stories with the BBC and NPR. Thus, she was arrested for
having ignored the clear message from the Interior Ministry.
Hugh explained that each indictment is actually the
preliminary step to the investigation, which will
subsequently determine guilt. If she is not guilty, she has
nothing to fear, according Iran contacts.
5. (S/NF) The final interpretation at DFAT and the embassy in
Tehran is that the MFA wanted her released, but bureaucrats
in Justice or Interior required that she run through all of
their hoops first, as a way of underscoring that no one gets
out of our jail just because the MFA requested it.
RICHE
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA ERICA THIBAULT, NEA/IR,NEA,S/SAGSWA,P
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL CASC EZ IN IR NO NZ TU VT
EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR IN TEHRAN DEMARCHES IRANIAN
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER ABOUT MS SABERI
REF: A. STATE 30046 B. CANBERRA 00326 C. CANBERRA 00334
Classified By: Political Counselor, James F. Cole, for reasons 1.4 (b)
ands (c)
Summary
--------------
1. (S/NF) The Australian ambassador in Tehran demarched
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Akhmondzadeh on April 7 on
behalf of Ms Saberi. Akhomdzadeh, just back from The Hague,
expressed surprise to learn that Saberi had not yet been
released. The Australian Embassy believes that the GOI
indictment of Saberi simply marks the prelimary investigative
stage, and reflects an internecine conflict within the
Iranian bureacracy. End summary.
2. (S/NF) Hugh Jeffrey, Desk Officer in the Middle East
Section at DFAT, told POLOFF that besides the demarche to
the Iranian ambassador in Canberra (reftel C),the Australian
ambassador to Iran Marc Innes-Brown, on April 7 delivered a
message on behalf of Ms Saberi to the Iranian Deputy Foreign
Minister for the Asian and Pacific Region, Mr. Akhmondzadeh.
3. (S/NF) The deputy minister told the ambassador that Ms
Saberi had been released and was somewhat shocked to be
advised that she was still in custody. He had been at the
Hague at the recent Afghanistan conference and apparently
believed that the request from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) would easily influence people in the Interior
Ministry and Justice.
4. (S/NF) Hugh told us that the Iranian government was such a
nest of fiefdoms that officials are constantly thumbing their
noses at each other's attempts to accomplish something. He
did not think that the MFA was unwilling to have her
released, quite the contrary; however, people in the Iranian
Foreign Ministry reminded him that a whiff of gasoline is all
that is needed for an indictment for arson--she had been
denied press credentials and she had continued to file
stories with the BBC and NPR. Thus, she was arrested for
having ignored the clear message from the Interior Ministry.
Hugh explained that each indictment is actually the
preliminary step to the investigation, which will
subsequently determine guilt. If she is not guilty, she has
nothing to fear, according Iran contacts.
5. (S/NF) The final interpretation at DFAT and the embassy in
Tehran is that the MFA wanted her released, but bureaucrats
in Justice or Interior required that she run through all of
their hoops first, as a way of underscoring that no one gets
out of our jail just because the MFA requested it.
RICHE