Katie Couric’s Interview with Ahmadinejad – CBS Evening News

September 29, 2009

Couric: During and after the presidential election, Mr. President, thousands of opposition supporters and journalists were arrested, badly beaten, and tortured. One woman, 27 year old Neda, as you know, was shot to death while protesting and her death was captured on a cell phone camera. Here is a shot of that, cell phone picture, which I’m sure you’ve seen. What would you say to her family?

Ahmadinejad: We are very sorry that one of our fellow citizens has been killed, as a victim of an agitational circumstance. An agitation that was carried with the support of some American politicians, the Voice of America, the BBC, that actually promoted the agitations.

KC: Do you really think so little of your citizens that they can be manipulated and brainwashed by Americans and the UK?

AH: No that is not what I’m saying, but I do say that some agitations from outside were there. I mean there are plentiful documents pointing to that. Regrettably one of our citizens lost her life.

KC: One?

AH: No! I’m referring to the picture you showed, the person that we were talking about. But over 30 people lost their lives as a result of the situation after the elections. And our Judiciary is actually looking at the cases now. I’m confident that the perpetrators of those acts will be punished. Neda Agha Soltan was killed in the midst of chaos. Have you seen this picture?

SHOWS A PICTURE OF AN EGYPTIAN WOMAN IN GERMANY WHO WAS KILLED IN COURTROOM AND DESCRIBES DOUBLE STANDARD OF WESTERN STORIES VS STORIES IN IRAN

KC: Mr. President, three months after the protests, hundreds remain jailed and continue to be tortured solely for their dissenting political views. Doesn’t this overt abuse of human rights discredit you within the international community?

AH: How do you know that they were tortured?

KC: Well we’ve read testimonies from families whose loved ones were jailed and beaten, there are account from fellow journalists who were arrested and beaten, a member of your own Parliament confirmed that a number of young people died at a prison holding protestors, the head of that prison was fired, and the documented case of the son of a political advisor who died in prison after being severely beaten. This is how we’re aware of this.

AH: In Iran, the Judiciary is an independent body. It does not make decisions based on political circumstances, nor does it make decisions based on propaganda. It makes decisions based on the framework of law.

KC: So you refute this?

AH: Yes, the way it’s said here. No it’s not the way you said. There were certain officials that violated the law and the Judiciary is looking into it. And they will be punished. Anyone who violates the law should be punished it doesn’t matter who it is.

KC: Violating the law by protesting?

AH: Yes, if the protests are illegal that can apply to them. The law does apply to them. We have law in our country you know, on a daily basis the number of people who are killed in the US by the police exceed those who were killed throughout the protest in Iran post elections. Just take a look across the country and you’ll find higher figures.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIc2fhDYG78
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpOq4ofUMCg