[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 158 (Wednesday, October 28, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H11984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             IRANIAN TRIALS

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, last week the Iranian Government handed down 
death sentences to three activists who protested this year's stolen 
election in Iran. There are at least 140 other demonstrators who will 
be subject to these sham trials, and unfortunately, there may be more 
executions as the regime seeks to restore their iron rule.
  The charges were phony, the trials were held in secret, the outcome 
rigged, and now the Iranian Government is only identifying condemned 
men by their initials. The Iranian Government is clearly on shaky 
footing; and according to some reports, they imported Hezbollah and 
Hamas radicals who wore face masks and who couldn't speak Farsi to 
harass and beat the demonstrators.
  Unfortunately, we continue to negotiate with this brutal regime, 
legitimizing their autocratic rule, even though they are so weak they 
must resort to hiring brutal thugs from other nations.
  The President should act swiftly, without regard to Russian 
objections to institute international sanctions that will support 
freedom for the Iranian people and undermine the vicious rulers who 
persecute them.

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