UANI Calls on Royal Tulip Hotel, Golden Tulip Hospitality, Accor Hotels to Reverse Decision to Host Iran's Ahmadinejad and Delegation this Week in Brazil

   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 19, 2012 Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com Phone: (212) 554-3296 UANI Calls on Royal Tulip Hotel, Golden Tulip Hospitality, Accor Hotels to Reverse Decision to Host Iran's Ahmadinejad and Delegation this Week in Brazil New York, NY - On Tuesday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) called on Brazil's Royal Tulip Rio de Janeiro Hotel (Royal Tulip), of France-based Golden Tulip Hospitality Group (Golden Tulip), to reverse its decision to host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his delegation during this week's meeting of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. UANI also called on the Novotel Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont hotel of the Accor Hotels Group and the Hotel Praia Ipanema to reverse their decision to host Iran's delegation this week. UANI recently learned of these hotels' irresponsible decision, and asked them to immediately reverse it, or otherwise risk the consequences of a boycott of their properties. In a letter sent June 18, 2012 to Hans Kennedie, President & CEO of Golden Tulip, and George Durante, General Manager of the Royal Tulip, UANI Executive Director, David Ibsen, wrote: ... Ahmadinejad's trip also comes as the international community is working to economically and diplomatically isolate the Iranian regime for its illicit nuclear program, egregious human rights violations and state sponsorship of terrorism. The Golden Tulip is therefore exposing itself to serious reputational and financial harm by hosting the Iranian regime. In the past, hotels have received widespread scorn for hosting Ahmadinejad and other Iranian regime officials. In fact, hundreds of Brazilians have already rallied on Sunday to protest Ahmadinejad's attendance at the Rio+20 Conference. Golden Tulip is exposed to reputational and financial risk given its business in the United States and with the U.S. government. Golden Tulip has received ample lodging business from the U.S. government-in particular the U.S. Department of Defense. UANI is prepared to launch a worldwide campaign and boycott Golden Tulip properties if they persist in this behavior. Please be advised that as a result of your plans to host Ahmadinejad and the Iranian delegation, UANI will also list Golden Tulip on its Iran Business Registry (IBR), a database of corporations that conduct business in or with Iran. UANI sent similar letters to: Denis Hennequin, Chairman and CEO of Accor Hotels; Ronaldo Grapiglia, General Manager of the Novotel Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont; and Carlos Goncalves, General Manager of Hotel Praia Ipanema. Significantly, Accor North America operates more than 1,100 properties in the U.S. and Canada, including those of its brand chains Motel 6, Studio 6, Sofitel and Novotel. Accor has also received extensive lodging business from the U.S. government-in particular the U.S. Department of Defense. Click here to read UANI's full letter to the Golden Tulip Hospitality Group and Royal Tulip Rio de Janeiro. Click here to read UANI's letter to Accor Hotels and Novotel Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont. Click here to read UANI's letter to the Hotel Praia Ipanema. Click here to send a message to the hotels. Click here to visit UANI's Hotels Campaigns page. ###                                                                          United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad; Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world; Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran; Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies; Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and; Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.

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