[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 87 (Thursday, June 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              ANNIVERSARY OF IRAN'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

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                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 10, 2010

  Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, June 12th will mark the one-year anniversary 
of the fraudulent presidential elections in Iran. In the wake of street 
protests that followed, human rights in Iran have gravely deteriorated.
  On this day, we must remember the dozens of courageous individuals 
murdered by this brutal regime and the hundreds of others detained 
without legal recourse. We must remember Neda Agha Soltan, the innocent 
young woman slain by the Basij militia.
  The post-election crackdown fully exposed the Iranian regime's 
continuing oppression of political dissidents as well as religious and 
ethnic minorities.
  In the spring of 2008, seven leaders of the Baha'i community were 
arrested and detained in Tehran's notorious Evin prison on charges of 
``spreading corruption on earth,'' among other outrageous falsehoods. 
They have been incarcerated for 20 months before a show trial can even 
commence. Moreover, according to the U.S. Commission on International 
Religious Freedom, as many as 45 members of the Baha'i community are 
currently imprisoned in Iran solely on the basis of their religious 
identity.
  The fourth court appearance of the Baha'i leaders is scheduled for 
June 12 to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the stolen 
election.
  The cynicism of the Iranian regime knows no bounds.
  It is time that the United States and the international community 
hold Iran accountable for denying the fundamental freedoms to its 
people.
  Yesterday, in commenting on the passed UN Security Council resolution 
on the Iranian nuclear program, the President stated that ``whether it 
is threatening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, or the human 
rights of its own citizens, or the stability of its own neighbors by 
supporting terrorism, the Iranian government continues to demonstrate 
that its own unjust actions are a threat to justice everywhere.''
  I agree with the President. His words should now be followed with 
action. We must raise the stakes for the Iranian leadership to cease 
its human rights abuses and abide by the rules of the international 
community.
  This Administration needs to prioritize human rights as a focal point 
of its Iran policy. American diplomats should continually raise the 
issue of human rights in Iran. We must urge our international allies to 
use their bilateral relationships and diplomatic missions in Tehran to 
call for the release of Iranian dissidents, religious minorities, and 
other prisoners of conscience.
  Most importantly, the President should speak publicly and directly to 
the Iranian people that the United States will never abandon them in 
their struggle for freedom and fundamental human rights.

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