Court of Appeal Mitigates Punishment
VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 21, 2000 (ZENIT.org).- The Vatican has appealed to Iran on several occasions, on behalf of 10 Jews condemned for espionage in the service of Israel.
Today, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Vatican Press Office, confirmed to reporters that the Vatican mobilized so that the Teheran Court of Appeal would mitigate the sentence against 10 Iranians of Jewish origin.
Specifically, the Vatican spokesman said that on several occasions, the Secretariat of State appealed to Iranian authorities, «both directly and indirectly,» for clemency for the prisoners.
Navarro-Valls added that this Vatican initiative is in harmony «with the Catholic Church's position on this matter,» since it «has always asked for respect for the rights of the accused through a just process, as well as respect for the rights of those arrested.»
The declaration ends by mentioning passages of John Paul II's Magisterium, which «in the spirit of the Great Jubilee, encourages leaders of nations to effect acts of clemency in favor of those under arrest.»
The 10 Iranian Jews were condemned in June to prison terms ranging from 4 to 13 years for espionage in favor of Israel. Today, the capital's Court of Appeal reduced the sentences of 7 of the convicts, while the sentences of the remaining 3 were suspended.
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