Family 'surprised' by Iran's stance.
Maybe you should do a little research before posting.
They say their son's death is a matter between the family and Port Moody police
Nicholas Read and Petti Fong
Vancouver Sun
Friday, July 25, 2003
Associated Press, Pool / Ezzat (seated at centre), the mother of Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi, cries during her daughter's burial ceremony at the tomb of Saint Seyyed Alaeddin Hosein, in Shiraz, 885 kilometres south of Tehran, Iran, Wednesday.
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The family of the late Keyvan Tabesh, who was shot and killed by a Port Moody police officer July 14, was shocked Thursday to find itself in the eye of an international political storm.
Family members say they had no idea the Iranian government was going to use the death of their 18-year-old son and brother to deepen a diplomatic incident with Canada.
"We were surprised," said Keyvan's sister, Rita, in an interview at the door of the family home in Burnaby. "We never talk to the government."
"The problem is between Keyvan's family and the police," she said softly, but with emotion. "It is a social problem, not a political problem."
Keyvan, 18, was shot by a Port Moody police officer July 14 when he approached the officer with a machete in his hand.
Police say Keyvan had earlier struck another vehicle with a machete and that the police officer followed the car in which he was riding into the Port Moody cul-de-sac where the shooting occurred.
Amir Aghaei, another passenger in the car with Keyvan, also approached the officer and was wounded.
In Iran, the government, which is embroiled in a high-level diplomatic dispute with Canada over the beating death in Tehran of Canadian-Iranian journalist Zahra Kazemi, said Thursday there is "fear and horror" among Canadian-Iranians following the shootings.
The Tabeshes are landed immigrants with family members still in Iran,
Rita said as soon as she learned that news of her brother's death was being reported in Iran and that his name was being mentioned by Iranian government officials, she phoned her husband, who is visiting relatives in Iran, to ask him to phone TV stations there and tell them to stop broadcasting the news.
"I told him to phone the media and tell them to stop spreading news in Iran," Rita said.
On Thursday, Rita and Keyvan's father, Nasser, didn't want to talk about what happened to Keyvan, saying only that the family plans to pursue the matter in court. Keyvan's mother, Forough Jabalameli, has been quoted as saying her son did not know he was being confronted by a policeman because the officer was dressed in civilian clothes and driving a vehicle without police markings.
Rita and Nasser both said Thursday Keyvan's death was not the business of the Iranian government, and they didn't want what happened to him to be used for political purposes.
"We don't want the government to use our family," Rita said. "We just want to know why the police killed our brother.
"We just want justice for our son," said Nasser. "We are not a political family. We are living in Canada now and we want justice in Canada."
The Tabeshes left Iran in 2000 and came to Canada for its educational opportunities, Rita said. Keyvan was finishing his last year of high school when he was killed, she said.
Amir Aghaei, who has recovered from his wound, was not available to comment Thursday, but his father, who declined to give his first name, said he agreed with the Tabeshes that what happened to his son was a matter for Canadian, not Iranian, authorities.
"The Iranian government are liars," Aghaei said. "This is not Iran's business. This happened in Canada, not Iran."
He said Amir has recovered from his injury, and the family plans to consult a lawyer to deal with the issue here.
"We will get a lawyer and we now will do everything by the law," he said. "It's a Canadian problem, not an Iranian problem."
He also said he did not want to talk about what happened between his son and the police.
Aghaei said he and his wife were "very, very upset" when they heard the news about the Iranian government involvement. "You have to know we will solve this problem in Canada," he said. "We love Canada."
Pari Saeedi, a spokeswoman with the Iranian-Canadian Community of Western Canada, said the Iranian government's comments are in direct retaliation for the Canadian government's demand for answers in Zahra Kazemi's death.
"This is bullying and the Canadian government should not buy it. They're covering their crime. Whatever happened here will be thoroughly investigated," she said Thursday.
Saeedi left Iran in 1985 and said she remains too fearful to return to visit her family. Relatives and friends still living in Iran tell her the country remains a virtual prison.
"You can close your eyes, shut your mouth and go back to see your family. And if you do see something or say anything they don't like, they'll torture you," she said.
Ken Taylor, a former Canadian ambassador to Tehran, said the Iranian government's call for transparency is "outrageous."
"It's total mischief and absolute nonsense to try and link the two cases together," said Taylor, who was Canada's ambassador to Iran in 1979-80. "It weakens their own case by taking this step."
Taylor said the police investigation into the Port Moody shooting is going to be transparent and will follow a set of procedures because the course of justice in Canada is subject to rules of law.
The Vancouver police department is offering assistance to the Port Moody police investigation into the shooting.
Inspector Chris Beach, who is in charge of the VPD's major crimes section, said a team of investigators is helping with the case.
The Iranian government's suggestion that the investigation into the Port Moody shooting may not be transparent shows poor knowledge of how the Canadian justice system works, according to Beach
"It's a ridiculous suggestion," Beach said. "It shows a complete lack of understanding. This is an investigation."
Port Moody Police Chief Paul Shrive said the homicide investigation is continuing into Tabesh's shooting and witnesses are still being interviewed.
"The attempts by any individuals whether in this country or outside to put any political spin will just not be entertained by us," Shrive said Thursday. "We're keeping our nose to the grindstone and investigating this homicide without any interference."
The unidentified officer who fired the shots joined the force two years ago from the RCMP and has 25 years of policing experience. He is on leave.
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