December
8, 2007
Karlsruhe, Germany - Germany is about to
release two assassins who were convicted of shooting
opponents of Tehran in a Berlin restaurant more than
15 years ago, prosecutors said Saturday.
The court that convicted them said they were
employed by the Iranian Islamist authorities to kill
the leaders of an opposition Kurdish party (KDPI) who were dining at a Greek-cuisine eatery, the Mykonos.
Dr. Said Sharafkandi, and two other comrades, were
assassinated on 17 September 1992 in Berlin's
Mykonos Restaurant,www.ekurd.net
barely a few hours after
they had attended the Congress of the Socialist
International that was being held on that city.
Federal prosecutors in the southern justice capital,
Karlsruhe, said Saturday the duo would be paroled by
December 24.
A national newspaper, Die Welt, reported they would
freed in the course of Saturday, but officials
declined to confirm this.
Kazem Darabi, an Iranian, and Abbas Rhayel, a
Lebanese national, were sentenced in 1997 to life
imprisonment for the murders.
Die Welt said both would be paroled and immediately
deported.
Four members of the Democratic Party of Iranian
Kurdistan were gunned down in the Berlin restaurant.
Over the years it has repeatedly been suggested that
Berlin might swap them with Iran to obtain the
release of Germans,www.ekurd.net
but the federal
government always insisted their punishment was not
negotiable.
The German Foreign Ministry said Saturday there had
been no accord with Iran involving the men.
Germany commonly paroles life prisoners after 15
years in pre-trial and penitential custody. |
Dr. Said Sharafkandi, assassinated on 17 September
1992 in Berlin's Mykonos Restaurant by Iranian
Islamist agents
A photo taken in 1992 in Berlin shows police
officers and onlookers standing in front of the
Mykonos Greek restaurant after four top Iranian Kurd
opposition were assassinated. |
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