VZCZCXRO3144
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHDIR #0072/01 3381357
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P R 041357Z DEC 07
FM IRAN RPO DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0205
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDHP/DIA DHP-1 WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0153
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0185
RUEHDIR/IRAN RPO DUBAI 0198

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 IRAN RPO DUBAI 000072 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR GAYLE; BERLIN FOR PAETZOLD 
BAKU FOR HAUGEN; ISTANBUL FOR ODLUM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  12/4/2017 
TAGS: IR PHUM PREL PGOV KNNP
SUBJECT: NOBEL LAUREATE EBADI DISCUSSES HER VIEWS WITH IRPO 
 
RPO DUBAI 00000072  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Jillian Burns, Director, Iran Regional Presence 
Office, DoS. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 
 
 
1.(S) Summary: IRPO officers met with Nobel Peace Laureate 
Shirin Ebadi November 30 during her visit to the UAE to complete 
her interview for a US immigrant visa.  Ms. Ebadi repeated her 
public comments that Iran should comply with international law 
in the form of UNSCR demands and suspend uranium enrichment, and 
that the US should continue to focus diplomatic pressure on Iran 
toward this end.  She maintained that any US or allied military 
attack on Iran would result in an upsurge of nationalist 
sentiment, strengthening Iranian hardliners.  Ms. Ebadi asserted 
that the most effective way to pressure Iran on human rights 
would be to bring a case against them in the International 
Criminal Court (ICC).  She advised the US to change its policy 
and support the ICC, and in the meantime to work with partners 
to bring a case against Iran.  Ms. Ebadi emphasized that USG 
public statements in support of Iranian human rights and 
democracy activists are helpful and that the USG should continue 
to make such statements.  Ms. Ebadi dismissed the importance of 
the March 2008 parliamentary elections, blaming the unelected 
Guardian Council for impeding any reform efforts.  Ms. Ebadi 
said that she would stay in Iran until April 2008, when she 
would join her daughter in Atlanta. Ms. Ebadi indicated that she 
remains dedicated to human rights promotion and will continue 
her work on that front.  End summary. 
 
2.(S) On November 30, Ms. Shirin Ebadi and her husband, Javad 
Tavassolian (strictly protect), attended an immigrant visa 
interview at the US Embassy Abu Dhabi consular section.  She had 
self-petitioned for the visa as an extraordinary ability alien, 
based primarily on her receipt of the 2003 Nobel Peace prize. 
After the conclusion of her interview, she was invited to meet 
with the Ambassador.  The Ambassador arranged a meeting between 
Ebadi and IRPOffs. 
 
Press Iran on Human Rights through the ICC 
 
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3.(C) Ms. Ebadi and her husband were relaxed and cordial.  Ms. 
Ebadi was direct in her statements regarding the Iranian 
government's failings and had clear suggestions to pass along to 
the USG.  Ms. Ebadi asserted that the Iranian government would 
feel severe international pressure if a case were opened against 
them at the International Criminal Court, which she said had 
made a major impact on the Sudanese government.  Since the US is 
not a signatory to the ICC, she recommended that others could 
take the lead.  (Note:  She also advised that the US should 
change its policy and support the ICC. End note.)  She believed 
that USG statements in support of jailed dissidents were helpful 
in securing their fair treatment. 
 
Various cases 
 
----------------------- 
 
4.(C) Asked about the recent statement by her NGO, the Center 
for the Defense of Human Rights, which named persecution of 
Baha'is as one of the main human rights abuses by the 
government, Ms. Ebadi confirmed that the human rights situation 
for Baha'is in Iran is very poor.  Regarding the significance of 
the government re-opening the investigation into the death of 
Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, she said that the 
announcement of a new investigation was just a show.  She 
expressed little hope that justice would be served in this case, 
and reiterated accusations that Tehran General Prosecutor Saeed 
Mortazavi was involved in the death of Zahra Kazemi. 
 
5.(C) Asked about Mortazavi's recent overturn of a court 
decision finding former nuclear negotiator Hossein Musavian not 
guilty of espionage, Ms. Ebadi confirmed that Mortazavi has the 
legal authority to overturn court decisions, but said this 
authority is very rarely used.  She described Mortazavi as a 
powerful and influential figure who has better relations with 
the Supreme Leader than Judiciary head Ayatollah Shahrudi. 
 
Nuclear: Iran should suspend, US should continue diplomatic 
pressure 
 
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RPO DUBAI 00000072  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
6.(C)  Ms. Ebadi emphatically asserted that any US or allied 
military attack on Iran would result in an immediate upsurge in 
nationalist popular feeling and rallying around the government, 
strengthening the hardliners.  She said the US should continue 
to rally diplomatic pressure on Iran, and Iran should suspend 
uranium enrichment in line with UN Security Council resolution 
demands.  (Note: Ms. Ebadi made this statement publicly earlier 
in November, in line with her general call to honor the mandates 
of international law. End note.) 
 
Majles elections unimportant, Guardian Council impedes reforms 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
-------------------- 
 
7.(C) Ms. Ebadi dismissed the importance of the March 2008 
parliamentary (Majles) elections as long as the Guardian Council 
supervised both the vetting of candidates, the elections, and 
had final say on all legislation.  She noted that in former 
President Khatami's second term, the reformists controlled the 
parliament, but no meaningful reforms were instituted because 
the Guardian Council blocked all significant legislation.  Ms. 
Ebadi added that she and other rights activists and groups have 
long lobbied for changes in laws including those on stoning, 
torture, and legal equality for women, but the Guardian Council 
consistently blocked any efforts by the Majles to change these 
laws.  Without a change to the role and powers of the Guardian 
Council, the prospects for any real reform in Iran were 
negligible, she said. 
 
8.(C) Comment: Ms. Ebadi said that she would stay in Iran until 
April 2008, when she would join her daughter in Atlanta. Ms. 
Ebadi indicated that she remains dedicated to human rights 
promotion and will continue her work on that front. 
 
9.(U) This message was cleared by Embassy Abu Dhabi. 
BURNS