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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                          (Detroit, Michigan)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                 September 21, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

The President is deeply disappointed by the decision of the Iranian Court of appeals in the case of the 10 Jewish Iranians imprisoned on unproven charges of espionage. These proceedings are inconsistent with the rule of law.

The original judicial proceedings were condemned by numerous governments and international organizations for failing to meet any recognized standards of due process. The judgments of such proceedings should have been overturned entirely by the court of appeals.

We remain determined to see these men receive justice. We call upon Iran's Supreme Leader to uphold his commitment to justice, and commute these sentences. We call upon the international community to continue to impress upon the Government of Iran the importance which it attaches to this matter.

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