Company Whose Cranes were Misused for Hangings Swears Off Business
Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) applauded Austria's Palfinger AG for taking the responsible action of ending its business in Iran.
Last month, UANI publicly called on Palfinger to pull out of Iran, where the Iranian regime has used its cranes to stage gruesome public executions. Palfinger was also listed as a partner of the Iranian company Pasargad Petrogas.
In recent discussions with UANI, Palfinger pledged a complete end to its Iran business, stating that "[a]s a result of the UANI campaign, among other reasons, we have terminated our contract with the Iranian dealer as well as any contact with Iran ..."
Palfinger added that it is no longer listed as a partner of Pasargad Petrogas, and also said it will "instruct our managers worldwide not to engage in any business with Iran."
Said UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace:
We applaud Palfinger for ending its business in Iran. As the recent film Argo depicted, the Iranian regime has for decades been misusing construction cranes for abuse and repression.
Like all of us, Palfinger executives were horrified to see their cranes being misused to conduct public hangings in Iran. Palfinger took the only responsible action—completely exiting Iran.
We urge other crane manufacturers to follow Palfinger out of Iran, particularly given the human rights issue. Given the regime's history of misusing foreign products and technology, there is simply no safe way to do business in Iran.
UANI's Cranes Campaign highlights the Iranian regime's record of conducting public executions by crane. In a July 2011 Los Angeles Times op-ed, "Iran's Execution Binge," Ambassador Wallace called on crane manufacturers to "take the principled stand of renouncing their business ties with the regime until Iran becomes a civilized member of the international community."
Palfinger joins prominent crane manufacturers Terex, Liebherr, Tadano, Konecranes, and UNIC in ending business in Iran.
Click here to read UANI's February 21 letter to Palfinger.
Contacts:
United Against Nuclear Iran
Nathan Carleton, 212-554-3296
press@uani.com
