UANI Calls on MTN to Retract Recent False Statement about Human Rights in Iran, End Partnership with Iranian Regime

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2012
Contact: Nathan Carleton, [email protected]
Phone: (212) 554-3296  

UANI Calls on MTN to Retract Recent False Statement about Human Rights in Iran, End Partnership with Iranian Regime

New York, NY – United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, called on South African telecom giant MTN to retract its recent false statement that it “has never encouraged or supported use of its cellular technology to infringe human rights,” and end its partnership with the Iranian regime.

Following reports last week that it is in discussions with the U.S. government regarding its inability to transfer its Iran profits out of the country and that currency devaluation in Iran will have “severe [detrimental] impact on [MTN’s] second-half earnings”, MTN vowed to remain in Iran and implausibly stated that “Our values and business ethics are proudly South African. MTN has never encouraged or supported use of its cellular technology to infringe human rights.”

Said UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace:

MTN’s statement that it has not “encouraged” the Iranian regime to infringe on human rights is an outrageous example of verbal parsing, and insulting to the intelligence of its customers and shareholders. MTN should not expect to be commended for not “encourage[ing]” the oppression of the Iranian people. MTN has actively and knowingly facilitated the regime’s human rights violations by financially partnering with it, selling it technology, providing it with tracking data, and carrying out orders to silence and identify dissidents. 

MTN has blood on its hands.

MTN’s current problems are only compounded by Iran’s ongoing currency collapse, which MTN’s chief financial officer concedes will have “a severe impact on second-half earnings.” Any company that does business in Iran is exposing itself to serious financial risks and difficulties, given the international community’s effort to isolate the regime. Businesses around the world are taking note of MTN’s current struggles due to its perilous exposure to Iran’s sanctioned economy.

This year, Amnesty International issued a report, "'WE ARE ORDERED TO CRUSH YOU': Expanding Repression of Dissent in Iran," which detailed the actions the Iranian regime takes to stifle dissent. The report said that to prevent the Arab Spring from spreading to Iran, the regime last year conducted four times as many public executions as in the previous year, burned and raped prisoners, tapped phone lines, and shut off SMS services during times of political protest.

Click here to read UANI's February 29 letter to MTN.
Click here to read UANI's January 25 letter to MTN.
Click here and here to see UANI's MTN advertisements.
Click here to send a message to MTN.

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