US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approves Iran sanctions bill for human rights violations

The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a bill to sanction the Islamic Republic of Iran for human rights violations.

The bill, known as the Iran Human Rights and Hostage Accountability Act, which was approved by the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee at the committee level on Thursday, March 14, aims to tighten sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran in connection with human rights violations.

On Thursday, the committee's chairman, Ed Royce, introduced four bills, one of which, if passed into law, would impose sanctions on Iranian officials for widespread human rights abuses. Another bill, on Syria, indirectly relates to Iranian officials and their support for Assad.

Ed Royce said in a Thursday morning briefing on Iran: "For years, the regime in Tehran has crushed all opposition with brutal and painful methods, including torture in Evin Prison and other prisons, as well as mass executions. But few officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran have been held accountable for human rights abuses."

He added: "The head of Iran's judiciary had not been specifically held accountable for human rights violations until December of last year."

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee added: "This is a regime that, in an unprecedented blackmail effort, has imprisoned American citizens on false charges, including one who is in critical condition. It is long past time for the Iranian regime to face the consequences of its attacks on Americans and its attacks on the Iranian people. The proposed bill introduced today is for that purpose."

In this meeting, Elliot Engel, the senior Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, also referred to the Iranian sanctions bill for human rights violations and the Syria bill in part of his speech, saying: "I hope that, apart from Iran, another bill will be considered and passed regarding further sanctions on Russia so that it no longer interferes in the elections of other countries."

He added: "The pressure on Assad should be lifted when he agrees to step down from power, prisoners are released, and Iran's influence is reduced."

Mr. Engel said: "The Iranian government is taking our citizens hostage. Siamak and Bagher Namazi are examples of this hostage-taking. Our human rights plan calls for new sanctions against the Republic of Iran."

Dina Rohrabacher, a Republican representative from California, said in her speech: "The brave people of Iran took to the streets, but we saw what the Iranian regime did. We must support them."

Ted Deutsch, a Democrat from Florida, proposed with Mr. McCaul a bill to tighten human rights sanctions on Iran, and condemned in detail the Tehran government's atrocities against American citizens and those who are legally resident in the United States. Referring to Bob Levinson, an American citizen who disappeared in Iran for years, he said that former US President Barack Obama said in January 2016 that Iran had promised to intensify efforts to find Bob Levinson and cooperate with the United States. But last week, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry denied such a commitment.

Mr. Deutsch called Tehran's denial a pure lie and said we must expose the Iranian regime's lies.

Republican Representative Ted Poe from Texas also said in his speech: "The mullahs in Iran have not stopped any human rights violations. The United States should support any regime change in Iran."

Republican Representative Don Donovan of New York also said: "Russia, Iran, and China continue to support Assad's crimes and there is no prospect of peace in that."

The representative from New York added: "The list of human rights violations by the Iranian regime is long. The Islamic Republic of Iran should not oppress its own people, resort to violence and executions. As America, we must help the Iranian people establish a free and democratic government and system. We must also help them with their internet freedom."

Adriano Espillat, a Democrat from New York who was one of the designers of today's prominent proposals, said: "The proposal we are considering is to pressure Iran to respect human rights like any other country. Iran shows no mercy to its own people and we must do something."

Democratic Representative Dina Titus from Nevada also said: "I support the Iran sanctions plan for human rights violations because the Iranian people are expecting help."

Republican Representative Thomas Garrett from Virginia said at the meeting: "Recent cases of human rights violations have been mentioned, but we must remember those who were killed in Iran in the 1960s."

He added: "No one remembers the MEK members killed in the massacres of the 1960s. I hope my colleagues will pay attention to this issue."

Ed Royce, the chairman of the committee, also responded to Mr. Garrett's statements, saying: "In defense of the Iran sanctions plan for human rights violations, all cases have been mentioned. It is not just the MEK that is the victim of human rights violations in Iran, it applies to everyone."

Now that the Foreign Affairs Committee has approved the bill, it must pass the House floor and be sent to the Senate. In that case, it will become law and be binding on the Trump administration.

Source: Voice of America