Chatami-Lawsuit in Vienna: "Protests honourable" - "Regime clerical-fascist"

On October 28, 2008, activists of STOP THE BOMB protested in and in front of the University of Vienna against the appearance of former Iranian President Mohammed Chatami, who justifies death penalty for homosexuals, stood up for holocaust-denier Roger Garaudy, defended the Fatwa against Salman Rushdie, and called Israel "an old, incurable wound in the body of Islam, which has demoniac, stinky and infectious blood." As a result, 11 of the protesters were incriminated of obstructing a police officer in the course of his duty, attempted breach of domestic peace as well as one of them was accused of grievous bodily harm to a police officer. The proceedings now ended with the verdicts of not guilty and an Amicable Arrangement with the main defendant.In his reasons for the judgment, Judge Norbert Gerstberger described Chatami as a "high representative of a clerical-fascist, inhuman regime". The protesters motives "are comprehensible since the most important representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran have repeatedly denied the Holocaust in world public and threatened Israel with nuclear annihilation. Demonstrations against a representative of such a regime are hence to be called honourable." The activists of STOP THE BOMB were capable of "setting a public example which was in sharp contrast to the reception of Mohammed Chatami by the Austrian president, who - apparently in consideration of Austria's economic interests - had met with Chatami before his appearance at the University. It must not be overlooked, that the University of Vienna is a place of discussion and critical dispute, therefore the imagination, that important representatives of dictatorial systems are allowed to speak without contradiction, abuts on intolerableness."Vienna daily Die Presse about the verdict:Demonstration against former president Chatami at the University of Vienna termed 'honorable' protest by regional court.Vienna. They were roughly 25 protesters. Equipped with whistles, they attempted to storm the small festival room at the University of Vienna in late October 2008. The activists, associated with the group "STOP THE BOMB" that steps up against Iran's nuclear program, protested against a lecture by Iran's former president Mohammed Chatami. This entailed charges for breach of domestic peace and for obstructing a police officer in the course of his duty.The lawsuit against principal defendant Simone Hartmann has now been closed by a judge at the regional court of Vienna, leaving her with a fine of 350 Euros. Judge Norbert Gerstberger chose pithy words for his explanation: Chatami is the representative of a "clerical fascist system". Such a protest is hence "to be called honourable". Even Austrian president Heinz Fischer got his share: "The defendant managed to set a public example by her actions, which was in stark contrast to the reception of Mohammed Chatami by the Austrian president, who - apparently in consideration of Austria's economic interests - had met with Chatami." ("Die Presse", Print-Edition 25.07.2009)