UANI Calls on Austria's Palfinger to End Business in Iran, Given Regime's Use of Its Cranes for Hangings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2013 Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com  Phone: (212) 554-3296 UANI Calls on Austria's Palfinger to End Business in Iran, Given Regime's Use of Its Cranes for Hangings New York, NY - Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) continued its Cranes Campaign by calling on Austria's Palfinger AG to immediately end its business in Iran, where the Iranian regime is using its cranes to stage public executions. Recently, photos have been published of Palfinger cranes being used by the Iranian regime for public executions. Palfinger partners with Iranian companies such as Pasargad Petrogas, and Palfinger apparently attended the International Maritime Exhibition held in Tehran last month. UANI's Cranes Campaign highlights the Iranian regime's record of conducting public executions by hanging citizens from cranes. In a July 2011 Los Angeles Times op-ed, "Iran's Execution Binge," UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, called on crane manufacturers to "take the principled stand of renouncing their business ties with the regime until Iran becomes a civilized member of the international community." In response to UANI's campaign, prominent crane manufacturers Terex, Liebherr, Tadano, Konecranes, and UNIC have announced the end of their business in Iran. In a letter to Palfinger CEO Herbert Ortner, Ambassador Wallace wrote:             ... Recently, photos have been published of Palfinger cranes being used in such public executions. Specifically, a Palfinger crane was used on May 26, 2011 for the execution of an Iranian convict in Qazvin, Iran. While UANI recognizes that Palfinger is in no way condoning thisbehavior, it is important for Palfinger to send the strongest message possible to the Iranianregime that the misuse of Palfinger products for such gruesome activities is wholly unacceptable. Accordingly, UANI is calling on Palfinger to end all business activities in Iran. Palfinger's Iran business activities are clearly documented on its website. For example, Pasargad Petrogas Co., an entity engaged in "marine, drilling (onshore, offshore), shipbuilding, oil, gas and petrochemical projects" in Iran is cited as one of Palfinger's Iran partners. Palfinger's relationship with Pasargad Petrogas is particularly alarming since "the sale, supply or transfer to Iran of further key equipment and technology which could be used in key sectors in the oil and natural gas industry or, in the petrochemical industry," has been prohibited by the European Union since January 2012. In addition, the Iranian company Machine Alat-eIran claims to be the exclusive distributor of Palfinger cranes in Iran. Palfinger also indicates that it recently attended the International Maritime Exhibition in Tehran in January 2013. UANI has requested a response from Palfinger by March 1, 2013. Click here to read UANI's full letter to Palfinger, and to view pictures of Palfinger cranes being used for public executions in Iran. Click here to learn more about UANI's Cranes Campaign. ### 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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