OTTAWA -- The federal government accused Iranian officials of contradicting each other yesterday about why Canadians have been barred from the trial of the man accused of killing Zahra Kazemi, saying the account of Iran's ambassador conflicts with that of its Foreign Minister.
Sources close to Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham flatly rejected assertions by the Iranian ambassador yesterday that a judge, not the government, issued the order to keep foreign observers out of the court.
"Never was the premise raised that it was a decision of the judiciary," a source close to Mr. Graham said. "This is a completely new argument."
Ms. Kazemi, a 54-year-old photojournalist, died of a fractured skull, the result of a beating after she was arrested for taking photographs outside a Tehran prison.
An angry Mr. Graham called back Canada's ambassador to Iran on Wednesday to protest against the decision to bar observers. He has suggested Canada may try to take Iran to the World Court or, perhaps, impose economic sanctions.
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