BRIEF ON IRAN	 
	Representative Office of 
	The National Council of Resistance of Iran
	No. 500	
	Wednesday, September 18, 1996 
 
 
 
3421 M Street NW #1032, Washington, DC 20007  


S.Africa Denies Endorsing Iranian Human Rights, 
Reuters, September 17  
 
	South Africa on Tuesday dismissed Iranian 
reports that it had praised Tehran's human rights 
record following talks between the two country's 
presidents.... 
	Pretoria said in a statement that it strongly 
denied Iranian media reports that the two presidents 
had issued a joint communiqué after the visit, which 
ended on Saturday, expressing satisfaction with 
human rights and democracy in Iran. 
	"Despite many hours of intense negotiation 
on a final communiqué, agreement had not been 
reached on wording acceptable to both sides in 
respect of the issue of human rights in Iran," the 
ministry said.... 
	Amnesty International and other human 
rights watchdogs have urged Iran to stop executions 
-- many of whose victims they say are political 
prisoners -- and amputations of fingers of repeated 
offenders convicted of theft. 
 
 
Norway To Press for Sanctions Against Iran, Iran 
Zamin News Agency, September 16 
 
	According to Norwegian parliament's vice-
president, the government of Norway is trying to 
intensify the trade sanctions against the clerical 
regime of Iran. 
	In a roundtable interview with Norway's 
national radio, P4, Mr. Eduard Grimstad said that 
the foreign minister has assured him that Norway is 
trying hard at the United Nations to get international 
support for the economic sanctions against Tehran. 
	In the same broadcast, the deputy director of 
the Norwegian Christian Democratic Party called for 
a stronger language against the Iranian regime. 
	Praising these efforts, the representative of 
the National Council of Resistance of Iran in Norway 
said the only language understood by the clerical 
regime is the language of force and whoever chooses 
a softer behavior toward Iran, such as Germany and 
France, will witness more terrorist attacks by 
mullahs in their country. 
	Referring to the European policy of "critical 
dialogue" with Iran, Mr. Lars Gunnar Lingaas, 
president of the Norwegian Committee in Defense of 
Human Rights and Values in Iran, in an interview 
with the National radio said that what is necessary 
now, is the trade and diplomatic sanctions against 
Iran. 
 
 
Mullahs' Intervention in Kurdistan, The Christian 
Science Monitor, September 17 
 
	Zaneh, Iraq — ...Though Iranian officials 
deny helping the [the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan] 
PUK —and Talabani makes the same claim— 
support from Iran is believed by Western observers 
to have increased in recent months. 
	An Iranian road leading to this remote 
border point is now being paved with asphalt, an 
unlikely and expensive move by Iran if its aim were 
only to help several thousand Kurdish refugees. 
	Also on Sunday Iran reportedly lobbed 
artillery fire into Iraq to fend off [the Kurdistan 
Democratic Party] KDP troops pursuing Talabani's 
forces.... 
 
 
Iranians May Help Train Mozambican Army, 
Reuters, September 17 
 
	Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad 
Forouzandeh visited Mozambique's biggest barracks 
on Tuesday after talks on possible military training 
for the Mozambican army. 
	Boane barracks, southwest of the capital 
Maputo, has been one of the main military training 
centers in Mozambique since Portuguese colonial 
times. 
	Mozambican Defense Minister Aguiar 
Mazula said after talks on Monday that training was 
on the agenda although his country has no current 
military links with Iran. 
	Forouzandeh arrived on Sunday and will 
leave on Wednesday. 
 
 
Government Campaign Against Cultural Centers 
Continues, Iran Zamin News Agency, September 16 
 
	The only cultural and artistic center in the 
Ardebil province is shut down. The center, called 
Vaseegh Cultural House, was located in the Ardebil 
city and was an educational institution where foreign 
languages, music and artistic fields were being 
taught. 
	The center is now taken over by a 
government agency and all of its cultural and 
educational activities are ceased. 
	In recent months, the government arrested a 
large number of musicians and artists and closed 
several cultural centers under the mantle of "fighting 
against social vice". 
	Last year, the regime's supreme leader Ali 
Khamenei blasted music for corrupting youth. In a 
religious edict, Khamenei announced: "In general, 
the promotion of music is incompatible with the high 
ideals of the Islamic system (of government)."