Swedish man charged with violating Iran sanctions

A Swedish man has been charged with violating international sanctions against Iran by allegedly trying to send high-tech industrial valves to the Islamic Republic.

According to Press TV, citing AFP, a Swedish prosecutor said on Tuesday that Shabab Ghasri, a 31-year-old of Iranian origin, had used a company in the southern town of Lund to try to export 11 non-corrosive valves to Iran via the United Arab Emirates last year.
The trial of Ghasri, who denies the charges, is scheduled to be held in January 2013.
The illegal US-engineered sanctions against Iran were imposed based on the unfounded accusation that the Islamic Republic is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran rejects the allegations, noting that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Iran’s civilian nuclear program has been diverted to nuclear weapons production.