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

February 21, 2013

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.

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