UANI Calls on MTN to Retract Recent False Statement about Human Rights in Iran, End Partnership with Iranian Regime

   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 13, 2012 Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com Phone: (212) 554-3296   UANI Calls on MTN to Retract Recent False Statement about Human Rights in Iran, End Partnership with Iranian Regime New York, NY -United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, called on South African telecom giant MTN to retract its recent false statement that it "has never encouraged or supported use of its cellular technology to infringe human rights," and end its partnership with the Iranian regime. Following reports last week that it is in discussions with the U.S. government regarding its inability to transfer its Iran profits out of the country and that currency devaluation in Iran will have "severe [detrimental] impact on [MTN's] second-half earnings", MTN vowed to remain in Iran and implausibly stated that "Our values and business ethics are proudly South African. MTN has never encouraged or supported use of its cellular technology to infringe human rights."  Said UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace: MTN's statement that it has not "encouraged" the Iranian regime to infringe on human rights is an outrageous example of verbal parsing, and insulting to the intelligence of its customers and shareholders. MTN should not expect to be commended for not "encourag[ing]" the oppression of the Iranian people. MTN has actively and knowingly facilitated the regime's human rights violations by financially partnering with it, selling it technology, providing it with tracking data, and carrying out orders to silence and identify dissidents. MTN has blood on its hands. MTN's current problems are only compounded by Iran's ongoing currency collapse, which MTN's chief financial officer concedes will have "a severe impact on second-half earnings." Any company that does business in Iran is exposing itself to serious financial risks and difficulties, given the international community's effort to isolate the regime. Businesses around the world are taking note of MTN's current struggles due to its perilous exposure to Iran's sanctioned economy. This year, Amnesty International issued a report, "'WE ARE ORDERED TO CRUSH YOU': Expanding Repression of Dissent in Iran," which detailed the actions the Iranian regime takes to stifle dissent. The report said that to prevent the Arab Spring from spreading to Iran, the regime last year conducted four times as many public executions as in the previous year, burned and raped prisoners, tapped phone lines, and shut off SMS services during times of political protest. Click here to read UANI's February 29 letter to MTN. Click here to read UANI's January 25 letter to MTN. Click here and here to see UANI's MTN advertisements. Click here to send a message to MTN. ###                                                                        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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