[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 34 (Friday, February 27, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE SHAME OF IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 27, 2015

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, at a time when the 
administration seems keen to reach a nuclear accord that relies on 
trust in the Iranian regime and perhaps even a de facto collaboration 
in the fight against ISIS, it is wise to consider and scrutinize the 
dismal human rights record of this country with which we are currently 
conducting negotiations based on good faith. How they treat their own 
people is illustrative of how they see and will treat outsiders. A 
hearing I convened yesterday provided a critical examination of human 
rights in Iran--which is important and necessary in its own right--and 
also placed it in the context of the administration's efforts to 
partner with this regime on critical issues.
   According to a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights 
in Iran, between July 2013 and June 2014, at least 852 people were 
executed in Iran. Shockingly, some of those executed were children 
under the age of 18. Iranian human rights activists place the number of 
people executed by the Iranian regime at 1,181.
   The current Department of State human rights report states that 
Iranian human rights violations include disappearances; cruel, inhuman, 
or degrading treatment or punishment, including judicially sanctioned 
amputation and flogging; rape, politically motivated violence and 
repression, harsh and life-threatening conditions in detention and 
prison facilities, with instances of deaths in custody; arbitrary 
arrest and lengthy pretrial detention, sometimes incommunicado.
   While the Iranian constitution grants equal rights to all ethnic 
minorities and allows for minority languages to be used in the media 
and in schools, minorities do not enjoy equal rights, and the regime 
consistently denies their right to use their languages in school. In 
addition, a 1985 law, the Gozinesh (selection) law, prohibits non-Shia 
ethnic minorities from fully participating in civic life. That law and 
its associated provisions make full access to employment, education, 
and other areas conditional on devotion to the Islamic Republic and the 
tenets of Shia Islam.
   The regime disproportionately targets minority groups, including 
Kurds, Arabs, Azeris, and Baluchis for arbitrary arrest, prolonged 
detention, and physical abuse. These groups report political and 
socioeconomic discrimination, particularly in their access to economic 
aid, business licenses, university admissions, permission to publish 
books, and housing and land rights.
   Because of severe religious freedom abuses, our Government has 
designated Iran as a Country of Particular Concern since 1999. The 
frequent arrest and harassment of members of religious minorities has 
continued, following a significant increase in 2012. The government 
severely restricts religious freedom, and there have been reports of 
imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination based on 
religious beliefs. There have been continued reports of the government 
charging religious and ethnic minorities with ``enmity against God,'' 
``anti-Islamic propaganda,'' or vague national security crimes for 
their religious activities. Those reportedly arrested on religious 
grounds faced poor prison conditions and treatment, as with most 
prisoners of conscience.
   One of those imprisoned on religious grounds is Pastor Saeed 
Abedini, a U.S. citizen and father of two--Rebekkah Grace and Jacob 
Cyrus--and a Christian imprisoned in Iran because of his faith. Pastor 
Abedini was imprisoned by the Iranian regime nearly 1,000 days ago, 
when members of the Revolutionary Guard pulled him off of a bus and 
placed him under house arrest. He was later taken away--in chains--to 
Evin Prison, where he has endured periods of solitary confinement, 
beatings, internal bleeding, death threats, and continued psychological 
torture, all because he would not deny his Christian faith.
   What was Pastor Abedini's crime? According to the court, he was a 
threat to the security of Iran because of his leadership role in 
Christian churches in 2000-2005. President Obama promised Pastor 
Abedini's son Jacob that he would do all he can to gain his father's 
release by the boy's birthday next month. Earlier this week, Secretary 
of State John Kerry, in answer to my question on this matter, said the 
administration was working quietly to gain Pastor Abedini's release as 
soon as possible. Let's hope.
   Meanwhile, Iran is repeatedly cited for virtually unrelenting 
repression of the Baha'i community, which Iran's Shiite Muslim clergy 
views as a heretical sect. Baha'i number about 300,000-350,000. At 
least 30 Baha'is remain imprisoned, and 60 were arrested in 2012. A 
February 2013 UN report said in that 110 Baha'is were in jail, with 133 
more expected to start serving jail time. Since the 1979 Islamic 
Revolution, the regime has executed more than 200 Baha'is. The regime 
frequently prevents many Baha'is from leaving the country, harasses and 
persecutes them, and generally disregards their property rights. 
Iranian regime officials reportedly offer Baha'is relief from 
mistreatment in exchange for recanting their religious affiliation.
   Iranian courts offer no recourse to the monstrous violation of human 
rights because without an independent judiciary, Iranians (and 
foreigners tried in those courts) are routinely denied fair public 
trials, sometimes resulting in executions without due process. This 
also results in ineffective implementation of civil judicial procedures 
and remedies and allows arbitrary interference with privacy, family, 
home, and correspondence.
   This is the regime the administration trusts to make agreements and 
honor them. I call on the administration to do more than acknowledge 
these facts--it must take more seriously the blatant disregard of the 
rights of people and factor this into any interactions we have with 
this predatory regime. How can we make any binding agreement with such 
a dishonorable regime? That question remains to be answered.

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