Bani-Sadr silenced

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 9

Bani-Sadr silenced

NZPA-Reuter Teheran The French Foreign Ministry has barred journalists from interviewing the former Iranian President, Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, because of fears for the safety of Frenchmen still in Iran. French sources said that Mr Bani-Sadr had agreed to stop giving interviews after several had been published in which the former President openly expressed his intention of overthrowing the present Iranian Government. Some 140 French technicians and diplomats still live in Iran and last week a former Islamic judge. Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali, said that he could not see the value of allowing the French Embassy to remain open in Teheran.

Mr Bani-Sadr agreed on his arrival last Wednesday to refrain from open political activities in France in exchange for asylum, authorities said at the time. Mr Bani-Sadr moved from his Paris flat at the weekend to a villa outside the city for security reasons. He is being protected there by a platoon of paramilitary gendarmes who have blocked the road outside to motor traffic. In a statement to NZPAReuter before he stopped

speaking to the press, Mr Bani-Sadr accused Iran’s Government of random arrests, torture, and executions, and appealed to the armed forces to resist what he termed “the despotic rulers."

And in an interview with “Der Spiegel," a West German magazine, Mr Bani-Sadr said he saw no chance of survival for the “religious dictatorship” in Iran. "I will be going back to Iran in a few months,” he said. Asked if he intended to bring about the end of the Ayatollah’s rule, he said: “Yes.”

The former President said in the interview that the Iranian armed forces were on his side, but he apparently ruled out a violent coup d’etat, saying: "What must be prevented is that the change takes on a bloody form.” Appealing to the armed forces, he said: “I tell you that there is no alternative to resistance. Do not . let them arrest and detain your people, who had no idea of our journey (into exile) ... The Iranian people. will respect your resistance against the despotic rulers.”

“With the will of God, we will soon return among you,” he added. An aide of Mr Bani-Sadr said that about 100 Iranian

Air Force men’ had been arrested by the Iranian authorities in connection with the former President’s flight into exile.

Three missile patrol boats ordered by the Shah’s regime seven years ago have finally been allowed to leave Cherbourg harbour for Iran, the French Defence Ministry has announced. The release of the craft came at a delicate moment in French-Iranian relations since France granted asylum to the fugitive former President.

However, the boats’ departure, which took place at the week-end, was envisaged by French authorities before the dispute over Mr Bani-Sadr arose. Since last June, Iranian crews of 30 men had been taking test cruises at sea with one patrol boat at a time.

This apparently was a precaution to make sure the three boats did not break the embargo against delivery of the craft, as happened when Israeli crews made off with five identical missile boats from Cherbourg in 1969. The delivery of the boats to Iran was delayed first by the American hostage crisis and then by differences over payment.