Imported Dates from Israel to be Destroyed in West Azerbaijan

The controversial case of importing date shipments from Israel, which were seized last year in the city of "Maku" in West Azerbaijan province, has ended with a ruling for the destruction of these goods. Tavakkol Heydari, the Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan, announced on Thursday, June 1, that the investigating judge has ordered the destruction of the "contaminated dates." Heydari added that this "ruling will be executed decisively" and that "the company that imported these products will certainly face condemnation." According to this judicial official, the shipment was imported by two Iranian companies, whose names were not disclosed by the Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan. Heydari also mentioned that the trucks carrying these products were released after it was determined that their drivers were unaware of the ban on importing Israeli goods to Iran. He stated that another reason for the seizure of these date shipments was their "contamination," as "health authorities deemed these dates contaminated and unfit for consumption." The Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan also referred to disagreements among judges regarding the fate of this shipment, noting that some judges believed it should be returned to customs. He explained that the prosecution had suggested in its indictment that the date shipment be confiscated for the benefit of the government, which the court did not accept. According to the commercial and customs laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the import of any products from Israel is prohibited. In November 2015, Masoud Karbasian, the Chief of Customs, stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran imposes no restrictions on imports except for Israel, as mentioned in the law. For years, the Hezbollah movement in Iran has launched a campaign to boycott Israeli goods, publishing a list of production companies they claim are owned by Israelis and calling for a halt to imports from these companies. Iran and Israel became enemies following the 1979 revolution. Some officials of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel over the past 37 years. Travel by Iranians to Israel is also prohibited under the laws of the Islamic Republic, and in November 2011, the Iranian parliament voted on a bill stipulating that any Iranian traveling to prohibited countries would be sentenced to two to five years in prison. The deprivation of passport rights for three to five years is another punishment for Iranians traveling to countries like Israel.