[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 25512]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               NOBEL PEACE PRIZE TO SHIRIN EBADI OF IRAN

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I rise to draw the attention of my 
colleagues to a topic that is of significant importance in the world.
  On October 10, the Nobel Peace Prize, the peace prize that was 
granted to the Dalai Lama in the past, to Martin Luther King, Jr., and 
to Nelson Mandela, was granted to Shirin Ebadi, not a household name. 
This lady is a prominent human rights activist in Iran. She was awarded 
the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.
  I want to draw the attention of my colleagues to her because Iran is 
one of those countries that is a state sponsor of terrorism. They are 
as a country on the very low end of recognition of human rights. The 
ruling clerics do not let participation in the society take place.
  She has been fighting for the rights of students and activists to 
peacefully meet and speak out. She has done it from inside Iran. For 
that, she has paid for it in jail time and in harassment. She should 
now receive a reward from us in recognition.
  Naturally, the regime in Tehran did not kindly meet upon her 
recognition as a Nobel Peace Prize winner. The regime actually went on 
to say there are other Nobel Prizes that are more important, like 
literature. I looked at that and I thought how would one deny their own 
countryman the peace prize, the highest of these? They are saying there 
is something else that is higher. But it is because she has been going 
at this regime that is illegitimate and does not recognize the people.
  I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Ebadi and to the 
Iranian people for their continued struggle for freedom, for democracy, 
and for human rights, against the clerics who have stripped them of 
every ounce of human dignity.
  The Economist described Ms. Ebadi as this: Assertive, severe, and 
frighteningly well versed in Islamic and Western law, characteristics 
that challenge the status quo of Iran and the religious ruling clique.
  Since being barred from serving as a judge, Ms. Ebadi has fought for 
the rights of homeless children under the repressive regime which 
treats the children like common criminals. In addition, she has spent 
the last 4 years investigating the attacks on student protestors by 
Iranian security forces during the massive July 9, 1999, protest. Ezzat 
Ebrahim-Nejad was one of those protesters killed during the 1999 
protest. Ms. Ebadi represented his family in tracking down the thugs 
who attacked the students and their paymasters within the Ayatollah's 
regime. Her devotion to this case and many others landed her a 15-month 
jail sentence.
  This year Ms. Ebadi established a nonprofit organization, a legal 
defense center for the families of Iranian dissidents and activists. 
This is challenging work that all Iranians can celebrate, and I am 
confident she will use the prestige that comes with the award of the 
Nobel Peace Prize to continue the struggle in Iran.
  There are dissidents in Iran who I think deserve highlighting, who 
are being held without reason. Hassan Zarezadeh, a 25-year-old student, 
is one. He is being held because of participation in a July 9, 1999, 
protest. He has been in prison since July 6, 2003, in preparation of 
the anniversary recognition of that protest. There are reports he is 
enduring torture during his detention.
  Dr. Farzad Hamidi disappeared on June 18, 2003, in Tehran, barely 1 
year after being released from jail. His whereabouts is unknown, but 
friends and family believe his disappearance is connected to his role 
in the student protest.
  Shirin Ebadi's struggles continue for these and many other 
individuals and activists inside Iran, and dissidents--and all they 
want to do is be able to peacefully meet and to be able to communicate 
their message to people within Iran. All they are getting for that is 
jail, harassment, and, unfortunately, death.
  Systematic change is needed to take place. A number of people are 
calling for that inside Iran. The student protesters and others are 
calling for an internationally monitored referendum on the Government 
in Iran. That is, indeed, what should take place.
  I wanted to draw Shirin Ebadi's name and her recognition and her 
award to the notice of my colleagues. This is an important step in the 
recognition and movement toward human rights in Iran. We need to 
celebrate it.
  I yield the floor.

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