UANI Launches Fiat Campaign, Urges Fiat to End Its Business in Iran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2011
Contact: Nathan Carleton, [email protected]
Phone: (212) 554-3296   

UANI Launches Fiat Campaign, Urges Fiat to End Its Business in Iran

New York, NY - United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) today called on Fiat to end its business in Iran and announced ads in today's am NEW YORK and Metro New York newspapers highlighting the Fiat Campaign.  The ads have a circulation of approximately 700,000 in the New York metropolitan area.  Click here to view the ad. 

Referring to the Fiat campaign, UANI President, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, said:

Fiat's business dealings in Iran are unacceptable. In doing business with a regime that so defiantly violates international law, Fiat is giving Iran an economic lifeline to continue on its dangerous course. Instead of selling cars and trucks in Iran for profit, Fiat should pull out of Iran now and show that it is a responsible corporation.

All Americans should be justifiably concerned with Fiat's business dealings in Iran given that Fiat has been the recipient of over $246 million in U.S. government contracts since 2000. Moreover, Fiat is now a 30 percent owner in American automaker Chrysler. It is doubtful that Americans will purchase Fiat or Chrysler vehicles knowing that the proceeds will go to a corporation that does business with a brutal and repressive regime.  Quite simply, Fiat must choose between its business in the U.S. or its business in Iran.

Earlier this week, UANI sent a letter to Fiat explaining its concerns with Fiat's business dealings in Iran. In the letter, Ambassador Wallace wrote:

UANI calls on Fiat to follow the lead of other responsible corporations, including such prominent automakers such as Kia and Toyota, and end your business dealings in Iran.

As reported in The New York Times, some 2,000 Fiat vehicles have been produced for sale in Iran (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the US," 3/6/2010).  Given that the Siena model, which you developed in a licensing agreement with the Pars Industrial Foundation, is still prominently on display on the Pars Website (http://www.topco-ir.com/fa/home.aspx), it is reasonable to conclude that Fiat is continuing to actively develop and cultivate business relationships in Iran.

***   

As reported in the The Wall Street Journal, Iveco trucks have been used not only to transport Iranian missiles, but have been used to stage gruesome public executions.  When confronted with this evidence, Maurizio Pignata, Director of Iveco's press office, callously dismissed the problem by stating the company "can't know the ulterior exploit of our vehicles."  (The Wall Street Journal, "The Rome-Tehran Axis," 1/10/10)  UANI finds this explanation remarkably lacking, given the regime's long history of sponsoring terrorism and committing human rights abuses.

Fiat is poised to re-enter the U.S. market with the launch of its Fiat 500 model. Fiat will promote its re-entry into the U.S. market at the New York International Auto Show beginning April 22.  UANI is calling on New Yorkers to protest Fiat's presence at the New York International Auto Show and send a message to Fiat. 

UANI has asked Fiat to respond by April 25.

Click here to view the ad in Metro New York and am New York

Click here to send a message to Fiat

Click here to read the full text of the letter to Fiat