[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13645]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 SECURING JUSTICE FOR THE IRANIAN JEWS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 10, 2000

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest concerns 
for the ten Iranian Jews who were convicted last week of seditious 
crimes and sentenced to extraordinarily long sentences. By now it is 
well documented that the condemning trial was saturated with false 
evidence and forced confessions, and was never intended to expose the 
meaning of true justice. These individuals were small tradesmen, 
leading a life in the ways consistent with their religion, and it is 
that for which they are being punished. Religious persecution can never 
be allowed, but when such injustices are showcased before the 
international community, it is our responsibility to take a stand and 
say that this will not be tolerated.
  We have seen legal and human rights organizations worldwide affirming 
that this trial was in fact a sham, and that it is beyond the realm of 
possibility to believe that such individuals could ever have been 
capable of committing the crimes for which they are accused.
  By staging such a mockery of justice it is apparent that Iran has no 
comprehension of human or civil rights, and therefore convicted no 
other than themselves in proving that they remain unfit to enter any 
exercise of the civilized world.
  In a recent meeting between President Clinton and the American 
relatives of the convicted Iranian Jews, a promise was made to use all 
possible U.S. government resources to secure the freedom of these 
individuals. This is a promise in which I would urge President Clinton 
to keep as I hope my colleagues here in the House would as well.
  We must remember that as we speak that there are thousands of Jews 
remaining in Iran, who can be subjected to identical suppression at any 
time. We must take a stand here and now and say behavior such as this 
will not be tolerated both now and in the future.
  Today, in New York the Jewish Community Relations Council and the 
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations 
organized a solidarity gathering in an effort to show the world 
community that we will continue to fight for the rights of these 
individuals until justice is truly served. I would like to commend 
these organizations for their efforts and would like to offer and 
assistance possible to the rectification of this atrocity.

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