January 19, 2010

Source:

TEHRAN — Tehran urged the French authorities on Tuesday to free an Iranian engineer facing extradition to the United States for allegedly breaking the trade embargo on Iran.

According to US authorities, 37-year-old Majid Kakavand sent electrical components and measuring devices bought in the United States to Iran via a company in Malaysia.

Kakavand was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris in March 2009 after holidaying in France, and the appeal court in the French capital is due to rule on Washington’s extradition application on February 17.

“He is going on trial despite being innocent. We denounce France’s act,” foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters.

“This is due to political pressure from the United States and it is illegal. They should take some serious action and free him as soon as possible,” he said.

The United States says the equipment had both civilian and military uses and therefore permission was needed to export it to Iran.

But an expert called by Kakavand’s legal team said the equipment was not of a high enough standard to be used in the defence or space industries.

Mehmanparast insisted that documents used against Kakavand “are forgeries based on political motives and wrong attitudes pursued by the United States.”

Iran arrested French researcher Clotilde Reiss during the post-election unrest in July and has put her on trial over taking part in anti-government protests. The revolutionary court is expected to rule on her fate this week.

Both Iranian and French authorities have rejected the possibility of swapping the pair.