[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 54 (Thursday, May 4, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIAL OF IRANIAN JEWS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT A. BRADY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 4, 2000

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to denounce the 
treatment of the 13 Iranian Jews who have been charged with espionage 
on behalf of Israel and the United States. To begin, the legitimacy of 
these charges is highly questionable. The Iranian government, run by 
the Ayatollah and his Islamic fundamentalist regime, has historically 
garnered domestic support for their anti-Israel policies by making 
similar dubious accusations against members of their own Jewish 
population. The judgments handed down from these ``trials'' over the 
past 20 years has meant the execution of 17 Iranian Jews. Such 
atrocities are reminiscent of Nazi Germany and it is America's duty as 
a leader of the free world to condemn such acts and ensure the fair 
treatment of these individuals.
  The evidence provided thus far has proven to me the impossibility for 
these individuals to receive a fair trial in their home country. Aside 
from the charges being apparently baseless (it seems as though they 
were singled out for teaching classes on Judaism and the practice of 
Jewish rituals), there have been pre-trial events that have effectively 
denied these suspects the right to counsel, the right to a speedy and 
fair trial, and the right against self-incrimination. Last month, the 
accused were brought before a judge in a closed-door session. It was 
then announced that the trial would be postponed with no explanation. 
In spite of reports to the contrary, 10 of the 13 are still being 
denied the right to select their own lawyers. Several of the attorneys 
have allegedly stated that their clients have confessed while the 
families consistently state this is not so. The denials of the families 
of the victims have led most to believe that these confessions were 
either coerced or never happened. To further illustrate the prejudicial 
nature of this legal process, it should be mentioned that one court 
appointed lawyer reportedly has objected to being forced to represent a 
Jew.
  The international human rights community has advocated the release of 
these individuals in order to protect their most basic liberties, and I 
give my utmost support of this effort. Iran is struggling in the face 
of revolution and will continue violating the basic rights of their 
people in order to gag the voice of democracy that is spreading 
throughout the nation. The West must utterly condemn such guerrilla 
tactics. We must send the message that the newfound relationship 
between Iran and the United States will not compromise our values. Such 
a message is not only significant out of concern for these 13 men, but 
is vital to our own national security. What kind of message does it 
send to the Ayatollah that we are willing to bend some of our core 
democratic beliefs in order to placate the Iranian government? Such 
weakness is not what has made us a world leader. Blatant human rights 
violations must have a zero-tolerance level and must be confronted head 
on. Therefore, I strongly urge Secretary Madeline Albright and the 
Department of State to do all they can in order to save these innocent 
men.

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