World

Iranian Jews' Jail Sentences Reduced

September 21, 2000 / 11:37 AM EDT / AP

An Iranian appeals court has annulled two of three convictions issued against 10 Iranian Jews found guilty of spying for Israel and reduced their sentences, a senior judiciary official said Thursday.

Branch 9 of the appeals court in Fars province annulled two of the three convictions on which the 10 were found guilty and reduced their prison terms from ranges of four to 13 years to terms of two to nine years, said Hossein Ali Amiri, judiciary chief of southern Fars province where the Jews were tried.

He said the court's decision was final and could not be appealed and that the time already served would be included in the sentences.

Dani Tefilin, a shoe salesman, and Asher Zadmehr, a university professor, who both received the highest prison terms of 13 years in July, had their sentences reduced to nine and seven years respectively, Amiri said.

The court upheld the conviction of cooperating with Israel but found the 10 men innocent of membership in an illegal (spy) ring and recruitment of new agents, he said.

"These sentences are the lowest possible sentences and we have used the ultimate of Islamic kindness and generosity. According to the law, these charges could have brought execution," Amiri told The Associated Press from the southern city of Shiraz.

"The court has admitted our argument that all the charges against the 10 Jews were only one charge, but we still believe that they are all innocent," defense lawyer Esmail Naseri told the AP from Shiraz.

Of the other eight, the sentence for civil servant Nasser Levihaim was reduced from 11 to seven years; Ramin Farzam, a store clerk, 10 to eight years; shopkeeper Javid Bent-Yacoub, nine to six years; shopkeeper Farhad Seleh, eight to six years; religion teacher Shahrokh Paknahad, eight to five years; religion teacher Farzad Kashi, eight to six years; Faramarz Kashi, five to three years; and shoe clerk Ramin Nematizadeh, four to two years.

Three other Jews were acquitted when the verdicts were handed down on July 1.

"We were expecting more cuts in the sentences approved by the appeals court," said Jalal Soleimani, the head of Shiraz Jewish Community. "Still, we are hoping for greater Islamic mercy from the authorities. We also expect the Supreme Court to re-study the sentences approved by the appeals court in order to reduce the latest sentences."

The case attracted international attention, with countries such as the United States and France and human rights organizations and Jewish groups urging Iran to ensure the trial was fair. Jurists have questioned whether the trial could be fair when there was no jury and the judge also acted as prosecutor.

"This trial was invalid from the very beginning. The Iranians found it necessary to convict some Jews and therefore those 10 are paying that price. We believe there was no ground to support the convictions of any one of the 10. As long as a single one of them remains in jail a great injustic is being perpetrated," Phil Baum, executive director of the New York-base American Jewish Congress told the AP in Cairo, Egypt.

He said no death sentences were issued only because Iran came under international scrutiny and pressure.

"It remains now for those same nations to protest the wrongful upholding of the conviction of those people who are incarcerated," Baum said.