Steps to appease in Iran

Press, 2 December 1978, Page 6

Steps to appease in Iran

NZPA-Reuter Teheran New steps towards investigating the Royal family’s wealth and freeing political prisoners have been announced by Iran’s militaryled Government in an apparent bid to appease anti-Shah opposition amid fears of possible fresh political violence. The Justice Minister (Mr Hossein Najafi) said that the three judges on the commission making the inquiry into the family’s wealth ordered recently by the Shah would begin work today — the day the predominantly-Islamic nation begins the potential-ly-expiosive Shiite Muslim mourning month of Moharram.

Mr Najafi also disclosed I that the dossiers of 120 of about 325 political prisoners remaining in jail were being presented to the Shah so that he could grant them an amnesty by December 10. Teheran was edgy as the mourning month approached :and long power cuts apparently resulting from political [action by electricity workers again blacked out many parts of the capital. I These moves. and a [recently-announced official | investigation of allegations [ that prominent Iranians had [transferred more than ■$2OOOM abroad, were part of a series of measures seen as aimed at appeasing the religious and political opponents of the Shah’s rule. In Washington, President Carter of the United States has restated his Government’s commitment to the Shah and said the United States has no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the country.