MUSIC

Iran’s claim to a valuable 1698 Stradivarius violin was rejected Wednesday by a Washington jury that decided the instrument belonged to a wealthy Tehran carpet dealer who fled his home country in 1981. The U.S. District Court jury also directed the Iranian government to pay $15,000 for interfering with plans by N.K. Behroozian to sell the violin in 1982. Behroozian, who lives in secrecy in Paris and did not attend the week-long civil trial, had arranged to sell the violin at an auction conducted by Sotheby Park Bernet. But the government of Iran, contending it owned the violin, obtained a court order blocking the sale. The Burmester Stradivarius, named after the German violin virtuoso Willy Burmester who once owned it, had been expected to bring about $350,000 at the auction.