We had a discussion about this in the AWL, and decided that at the very best the story was dubious, and that we therefore shouldn't use it.

However, it seems to me that this discussion is missing the point. The fact that this story may be fabricated doesn't make the Iranian regime progressive! The repression of women, the execution of gay men, the torture of dissidents, the ongoing crushing of workers' organisations (eg the Tehran bus workers) certainly are true!

On this one, Respect etc are right - but that doesn't change the fact that they are apologists for the regime, as witnessed by the fact that at NUS conference they virulently condemned a motion opposing war on Iran because it also opposed the Iranian dictatorship.