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UANI Warns Finnish Business Delegation of Risks Ahead
of Official Visit to Iran
Finnish President and company leaders pursue Iranian
business despite serious reputational risks experienced
first-hand by Finnish company Cargotec
"The
Finnish delegation's interest in strengthening ties with Iran
represents a step in the wrong direction, as a myriad of risks
continues to plague the country's business environment," said Ambassador Mark D. Wallace,
Chief Executive Officer of UANI. "These
companies are not only rewarding the regime's continuous belligerent
behavior by offering their business; they are jeopardizing
themselves, their employees, and their reputations--and face the
prospect of dealing with front companies controlled by Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist
organization."
UANI has
alerted Cargotec, a Finnish manufacturer and major U.S. defense
contractor, multiple times over the misappropriation of its cranes
for human rights violations. There have been at least two
documented cases where Cargotec cranes have been used in public
executions of Iranian citizens: on June 20, 2013, a prisoner was publicly executed with a
"Lajvar" brand construction crane--Lajvar
has been Cargotec's Iranian distributor--and on November 9,
2015, Iranian authorities hanged a prisoner named "A.S." in
Khoy using Cargotec's
Hiab-branded crane.
"It is
deeply concerning that Cargotec continues to pursue further business
ties in Iran, knowing that its machines have been grossly misused before.
Fostering business ties with Iran at this time will only embolden and
empower the terror-sponsoring regime in Tehran and work to
undermine President Niinistö's own policy of eradicating
terrorism," said former U.S. Senator Joseph I.
Lieberman, Chairman of UANI.
Other members
of the Finnish delegation to Tehran include: KONE, Nokia, Outotec,
and Wartsila--Finnish companies that UANI has contacted this year
alerting them to the many risks inherent in the Iranian economy such
as arrest and imprisonment of company employees and contractors,
sponsorship of terrorism, and money laundering.
Led by a group
of former leading diplomats and lawmakers, UANI is in the midst of a
global education campaign focused on the corporate risks of doing
business with Iran, warning hundreds of international companies that
are contemplating Iran as a new investment opportunity. As part
of its campaign to highlight the dangers of business with the Iranian
regime, UANI has identified a matrix of 10
key risk categories businesses and
sovereign states face should they pursue deals with Tehran.
For more
information, or to speak with UANI leadership, please contact: press@uani.com
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