Winnipeg Sun: NEWS - Feds slam Iranian Kazemi claim

OTTAWA -- Canada has blasted a claim by Iran's judiciary that Zahra Kazemi's death was "accidental" and is renewing demands the country launch a new murder investigation. "The new theory being advanced by the Iranian judiciary has no credibility, and hardly deserves to be dignified with any comment," Foreign Affairs spokesman Reynald Doiron said yesterday.

Tension between Ottawa and Tehran continued to boil over the Kazemi case yesterday, after hard-line Iranian judiciary officials announced the Montreal photojournalist died in custody from a fall after her blood pressure dropped during a hunger strike. The statement comes just days after the secret agent charged with her death was acquitted for "lack of evidence."

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew was unavailable for comment yesterday, but Doiron said Canada will continues to fight for justice.

"We continue to demand transparent, credible justice and the return of Ms. Kazemi's body in accordance with the wishes of her family," he said. "We will work with partners to urge Iran to change its general comportment on human rights issues."

Conservative MP Stockwell Day called the Iranian judiciary's dramatic shift a "very disturbing situation" and slammed Pierre Pettigrew's response.

"They are sending what they hope will be their final signal that they absolutely do not care about our concerns on this case," he said. "This is adding insult to injury. It's a cruel joke, and once again we have nothing but anemic responses from our government."

Liberal foot-dragging has allowed the situation to worsen and permitted Iran to defy international laws on human rights, Day charged.

NDP Leader Jack Layton said Ottawa must announce an immediate timetable with specific steps it intends to take to show Canada is serious -- including cutting diplomatic ties and imposing trade sanctions.

"We should be ramping up our diplomatic actions," he said. "There's lots of business being done between Iran and Canada. Are we saying it's business as usual while a Canadian fatality under these terrible circumstances goes unaddressed in an appropriate way by the Iranian government? We don't think so."