VIENNA (AP) – Ah, Vienna. City of music. Crown jewel of the Holy Roman Empire. Birthplace of psychoanalysis. Home of the Lipizzaner stallions. And this week, host of the Iran nuclear negotiations.
But along with the foreign ministers, their delegations and a horde of accompanying journalists, another type has decamped to the Austrian capital for the talks: special interest groups with a stake in the outcome.
Amid the Viennese chocolate, churches and chamber music, advocates and opponents of the emerging deal are out in force, as are some of the families of Americans detained or missing in Iran, all hoping to take advantage of the convergence of world-power officialdom and media to press their points.
“We want the Iranian and U.S. governments to know that we are here,” said Sarah Hekmati, whose brother, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, will spend his 1,400th day in an Iranian prison on Monday. “This is an opportune time, and we want to leverage the opportunity.”
Also in Vienna is Ali Rezaian. He’s the brother of Iranian-American Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter who is facing espionage charges in Iran.