U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom: Biden Administration Should Support Detained Iranian Citizens
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom condemned the Iranian authorities’ mistreatment of Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, an imprisoned civil activist, following her transfer to Amel Prison.
Gil Menchon, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, on Wednesday, January 28, in response to the Islamic Republic authorities’ abuse of Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and the sudden transfer of this civil activist from Evin Prison to Amel Prison, called on President Joe Biden’s administration to support Iranian citizens detained for their peaceful exercise of religious freedom and freedom of belief.
Ms. Menchon also asked the Biden administration to raise the severe mistreatment of Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee in upcoming dealings with Iranian leaders.
Gary Bauer, another member of this commission, also referring to the Iranian authorities’ mistreatment of citizens who peacefully express their freedom of religion and belief, called on the Biden administration to continue sanctions and visa bans for high-ranking Iranian officials responsible for this cruel mistreatment.
According to reports from some human rights agencies, Golrokh Iraee was exiled to Amel Prison on Sunday, January 15, after at least one and a half months of interrogation at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence detention center in Evin Prison and subsequent transfer to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.
Based on available information, this imprisoned civil activist was transferred on December 14 along with beatings by special prison officers to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence detention center known as Ward 2-A of Evin Prison and was deprived of the right to contact and visit with her family.
It was in late July 2019 when Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, in a joint case with Atena Daemi, another imprisoned civil activist, was sentenced by Judge Iman Afshari, head of the 26th Branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, to three years and seven months in prison on charges of “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic and the leader” and “propaganda against the system.” She was arrested at her residence in Tehran on November 9 of that year and transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.
Previously, Voice of America reported that since Golrokh Iraee was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin on November 9, 2019, her communication channels with her husband Arash Sadeqi, a political prisoner in Iran, were cut off by order of the Tehran prosecutor and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization. At that time, Mr. Sadeqi was told that “you do not deserve to have telephone contact and visitation.”
Human rights organizations say that the Islamic Republic does not fairly investigate charges and sometimes innocent people have been tried and even executed.
The U.S. State Department has repeatedly condemned violent conduct and widespread suppression of protesters, as well as repeated and continuous violations of the rights of Iranian citizens by the ruling regime in that country.
Source: Voice of America
