Ottawa Pulls Out of "Doing Business with Iran" Conference

Allison Dunfield, The Globe and Mail:

The federal government said Wednesday that Canada will not participate in a "Doing Business with Iran" conference in light of new and damning evidence in the Zahra Kazemi case. Dan McTeague, the parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew, told CBC Newsworld Wednesday that the conference, which the federal Agriculture department was to attend, will go ahead as planned but without government presence.

"The government of Canada will not be participating in that conference and will withdraw participation of the Canadian government in that conference. The issue of trade among Canadians and Iranians is something that's quite different, but in terms of underscoring Canada's concern at the highest levels, we have, of course, now proceeded with withdrawing Canadian participation and support in that conference," Mr. McTeague said. READ MORE

The Agriculture department will also no longer be a co-sponsor of the April 13-15 event in Montreal, he said. The gathering for importers and exporters was organized with help from Agriculture Canada. The department was to help supply audio-visual equipment, refreshments and interpreters. All related contracts will be honoured, but a previously scheduled roster of federal speakers will no longer take part, a spokeswoman for the Agriculture department said.

Mr. McTeague said the federal government is also looking at a number of options to send a message to Iran that the treatment of Montreal photojournalist Ms. Kazemi, who died in a Tehran prison in 2003 after allegedly being raped and tortured, was not acceptable.

Mr. Pettigrew asked Tuesday that Iran agree to an international forensic investigation into her death in light of recent allegations made by Dr. Shahram Aazam, a doctor who examined her. He says that he saw evidence of rape and injuries consistent with torture.

"I have proposed a three-member, independent group of forensic experts to conduct an autopsy that would help to determine precisely what happened during her custody," Mr. Pettigrew said in a statement earlier this week.

"The ball is now in Iran's court. Only a transparent and credible process can answer the disturbing questions that remain about Zahra Kazemi's death and the subsequent investigation."

During Question Period Wednesday, Conservative foreign affairs critic Stockwell Day again asked that the government withdraw the ambassador to Iran.
Mr. Pettigrew said that is not a solution.

"We have, in the past, withdrawn the ambassador, and that has led to nowhere. We need to articulate our case in Iran at the highest level and very strongly."

Mr. McTeague said Wednesday that he is encouraged by the support of French President Jacques Chirac. Mr. Chirac has also called on Iranian authorities to have Ms. Kazemi's body undergo an independent forensic analysis, Mr. McTeague said.

"Now that we've enlisted the support of the French government, which has very good contacts with the Iranian government, we believe this is the right position to take," he said.