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| Great White North |
| Iranian-Canadian convicted on 9 counts |
| 2010-07-08 |
| An Iranian-Canadian man has been found guilty by the Ontario Court of Justice of allegedly trying to export nuclear-related pressure transducers to Tehran. Mahmoud Yadegari, 36, was found guilty on Tuesday of nine charges and acquitted of one count of forgery, Press TV's correspondent in Toronto Zahra Jamal reported. The export-controlled material Yadegari allegedly tried to ship in March of 2009 is subject to a UN embargo on nuclear-related exports to Iran. The transducers have dual purposes and can be used for peaceful functions as well. The problem, however, is that Yadegari did not have an export permit for them. "Our defense was that he didn't know what the character of the transducers was, and ... that even if he did, they weren't really prohibited items under the UN Act," said Yadegari's defense attorney Frank Addario, adding that the court rejected the defense. This comes as Federal Crown Attorney Bradley Reitz puts another spin on the story. "They are called transducers and you can (export them) if you get the licenses and the permits that are required. Mr. Yadegari didn't do that. He didn't even apply," Rrietz said. When Yadegari was arrested last April in his home in North York, Ontario, police said it was the first time in Canadian history that an individual had been charged with offenses under the Customs Act, United Nations Act and Export and Import Permits Act. The following month, five additional charges were brought against him. Some of the accusations were related to the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and criminal code offences. On whether or not the charges were politically motivated, Yadegari's lawyer said there was no question the UN regulations regarding Iran are politically tainted; but the trial itself, he added, was a pure criminal law trial. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Customs and Excise Inspector Kreig Johnson claims the evidence put forth proves the final destination for the pressure transducers was Tehran, and that the specifications of these devices were customized for uranium enrichment. Yadegri has one month to appeal the court ruling. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 But who among us hasn't tried to export uranium transducers to pariah states? |
| Posted by: American Delight 2010-07-08 06:12 |