- Title: Berlin mayor receives Tehran counterpart for controversial visit
- Date: 6th September 2019
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 6, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** TEHRAN MAYOR PIROUZ HANACHI ARRIVING AT BERLIN CITY HALL, WALKING PAST WITH DELEGATION AND BEING RECEIVED BY HIS BERLIN COUNTERPART, MAYOR AND STATE PREMIER MICHAEL MUELLER / GERMAN OFFICIAL TELLING CAMERA CREWS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS COMPLAINING THAT THEY DID NOT SEE MUELLER, "OH I'M SORRY, UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T HELP" GUILLOTINES SET UP OUTSIDE BERLIN CITY HALL TO PROTEST AGAINST VISIT PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS READING IN GERMAN "IRAN / FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS!" AND "MAYOR OF THE IRANIAN TERROR REGIME OUT OF GERMANY!" JAVAD DABIRAN OF IRAN'S RESISTANCE COUNCIL IN DISCUSSION PLACARD READING IN GERMAN "MAYOR OF THE IRANIAN TERROR REGIME OUT OF GERMANY!" (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPOKESMAN FOR NATIONAL COUNCIL OF RESISTANCE OF IRAN (NCRI) IN GERMANY, JAVAD DABIRAN, SAYING: "We are here today because we believe it's scandalous that the red carpet is being rolled out for a representative of the Iranian terror regime. By whom? By the mayor of Berlin, Mr. Mueller who we think should listen to these protests and not ignore them. He should cancel this visit by a representative of the Iranian regime." PROTESTERS IN DISCUSSION (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPOKESMAN FOR NATIONAL COUNCIL OF RESISTANCE OF IRAN (NCRI) IN GERMANY, JAVAD DABIRAN, SAYING: "This regime can't be reformed. After 40 years we are at the end of our experience. They should finally listen to what the protesting people in Iran are saying. They are saying they want an end to the religious dictatorship. The mullahs have to go." BANNER IN ENGLISH READING "FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS IN IRAN!" VARIOUS OF DRUMMING PROTESTERS YELLOW PLACARD READING IN GERMAN "IRAN / PRISON FOR WOMEN" / CITY HALL IN BACKGROUND FEMALE PROTESTER HOLDING BANNER YELLOW PLACARD IN GERMAN READING "BERLIN EMBASSY OF THE MULLAHS IS A TERROR CENTRE - CLOSE IT!" PROTESTERS STANDING IN STREET, ONE DRAPED IN ISRAELI FLAG, ANOTHER HOLDING AN ISRAELI FLAG VARIOUS OF PROTEST CITY HALL EXTERIOR
- Embargoed: 20th September 2019 13:55
- Keywords: Berlin's mayor and state premier Michael Mueller receives his Iranian counterpart from Tehran Pirouz Hanachi
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AVIQ72F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Berlin's mayor and state premier Michael Mueller received his Iranian counterpart from Tehran, Pirouz Hanachi on Friday, a visit which the American Jewish Committee Berlin (ACJ) called a "disastrous message to all those who fight anti-Semitism on a daily basis," according to Tagesspiegel newspaper.
The controversial visit at city hall consisted of a 30 second photo opportunity as Hanachi and his delegation arrived and walked past to greet Mueller.
AJC was not available to comment on camera.
By the time reporters demanded a "hand shake" of the two mayors Mueller and his guest had already disappeared.
Outside the Berlin city hall, some one hundred demonstrators protested against Hanachi's visit, holding placards reading "free political prisoners in Iran!" and "Iran - prison for women."
Javad Dabiran, spokesman for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Germany, called the visit "scandalous."
Dabiran said Berlin's mayor was "rolling out the red carpet for a representative of the Iranian terror regime."
Mueller is currently the president of "Metropolis," an international network of major cities and metropolitan areas founded in 1985 which has 139 members, among them Tehran, according to the city of Berlin.
(Production: Leon Malherbe, Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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