Arrest of 12 Iranian Jews linked to internal dispute
by NEW YORK (JTA) -- Twelve Iranian Jews were arrested in Iran last month, but the specific charges remain unclear., The arrests stem from an internal dispute between the Jewish communities of Tehran and Shiraz in southwest Iran, according to so
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A widely distributed alert circulating on the Internet said that 23 Jews, including three rabbis, had been arrested for "teaching and learning Torah."
Hoenlein and other sources called the report "exaggerated."
And contrary to the cyber-rumors, Hoenlein said none of the Jews arrested were facing execution. The United States government is aware of the situation, he added, but not involved in any negotiations.
Today's Iranian Jewish population is difficult to assess. The American Jewish Year Book puts Iran's total Jewish population at 12,500; other estimates put the current number as high as 35,000.
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