Resolution by Bipartisan House Majority Condemns Tehran's Targeting of Opposition, Supports Iranians' Desire for Freedom

The NCRI's President-elect Maryam Rajavi commends the resolution as a reflection of the American people’s support for the Iranian people’s desire for freedom

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 18, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Senior members of the U.S. Congress announced a congressional initiative co-sponsored by a House Majority, condemning the Iranian regime’s terrorism targeting the main Iranian opposition in Europe and the United States, and supporting the Iranian people’s desire for freedom and democracy.

The bipartisan House resolution, H.Res. 374, entitled, “Condemning Iranian state-sponsored terrorism and expressing support for the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic of Iran,” was introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), and was cosponsored by a majority (221) of House members, including a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA). There are 10 committee chairs and ranking members as well as 113 subcommittee chairs and ranking members among the cosponsors of this resolution.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on June 15, 2020, Congressman McClintock brought the resolution to the attention of the U.S. Government on behalf of the House Majority which cosponsored it, to encourage all efforts to “recognize the rights of the Iranian people and their struggle to establish a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic of Iran while also holding the ruling regime accountable for its destructive behaviors.”

The resolution highlights a number of terror plots by the Iranian regime targeting the members and events of the main Iranian opposition, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), and the parliament-in-exile, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which occurred in Albania, France, as well as the United States. Only in the past two years, seven Iranian regime “diplomats” have been expelled, another one is in jail in Europe, and two other agents were convicted and imprisoned in the United States, all for terror plots primarily against the members of this movement.

The resolution condemned the “past and present Iranian state-sponsored terrorist attacks against United States citizens and officials, as well as Iranian dissidents, including the Iranian regime’s terror plot against the ‘Free Iran 2018 – the Alternative’ gathering in Paris.”

The resolution referred to “Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan for the future of Iran, which calls for the universal right to vote, free elections, and a market economy, and advocates gender, religious, and ethnic equality, a foreign policy based on peaceful coexistence, and a non-nuclear Iran.”

In a video message, Mrs. Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI, commended the members of Congress for H.Res.374: “This Resolution, co-sponsored by a bipartisan majority of members of Congress, reflects the American people’s support for the Iranian people’s desire for a free Iran, a republic based on people’s free vote, separation of religion and state, gender equality, respect for the rights of ethnic groups, and a non-nuclear Iran.”

The NCRI’s President-elect added, “The Iranian people have struggled against two dictatorships for freedom. They overthrew the shah and will continue their struggle to overthrow the mullahs’ regime and achieve freedom…. The Iranian people will be inspired to know that the representatives of the American people hear their voice.”

In his remarks, Rep. McClintock said, “The initiative is strongly supported by both parties and involves representatives from 41 states and all committees including the House committees of Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Homeland Security, Appropriations, and Select Committee on Intelligence. This resolution was brought to the attention of Secretary Pompeo this week with the names of 221 co-sponsors as a policy suggestion that the administration should consider.”

The California lawmaker added “It [H.Res 374] comes at a time when the Iranian opposition to the regime, the National Council of resistance of Iran, is steadily gaining momentum, and has thus become the main target of the regime’s global terrorism. Dozens of the Iranian regime’s “diplomats” as well as its agents have been expelled or jailed by the European nations, including Belgium, France, Albania, as well as the United States for their terror plots, particularly against the NCRI officials. The Iranian resistance remains as the main target of repression in Iran. Many of its supporters have recently been arrested in Iran for their affiliation with this movement. Last November, the regime murdered at least 1,500 innocent Iranians protesting its cover-ups, mismanagement and corruption.”

Congressman Sherman, who is the lead Democrat co-sponsor of this resolution stressed, “The people of Iran are in the street screaming 'enough is enough' … We must continue to advocate for an Iran that is non-nuclear, democratic, secular, and free.”

Highlighting his efforts to protect the MEK members living in Ashraf 3 in Albania against the Iranian regime’s terror plots, Mr. Sherman said, “I have also led congressional efforts to protect the Iranian opposition members who are outside Iran. In 2018, I led a letter to the Albanian Prime Minister urging that Iranian dissidents living in Albania be protected. Earlier this summer there were reports that two Iranians were arrested by the Albanian authorities. The Prime Minister must ensure that the Iranian regime doesn’t try to silence its critics living in Albania thru trumped up evidence.”

The Resolution recalls, “On July 2, 2018, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced it had foiled a terrorist plot against the ‘Free Iran 2018 – the Alternative’ gathering held on June 30, 2018, in support of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom.”

The bipartisan document adds, “In December 2018, the Government of Albania expelled Iran’s Ambassador, Gholamhossein Mohammadnia, and MOIS station chief in Albania, Mostafa Roudaki, for planning terrorist activities against Iranian dissidents and members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).”

The resolution calls on relevant United States Government agencies “to call on nations to prevent the malign activities of the Iranian regime’s diplomatic missions, with the goal of closing them down, including the Iranian embassy in Albania.”

The Resolution also notes that in the 115th Congress, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4744, calling on the United States to ‘‘condemn Iranian human rights abuses against dissidents, including the massacre in 1988 and the suppression of political demonstrations in 1999, 2009, and 2017, and pressure the Government of Iran to provide family members detailed information that they were denied about the final resting places of any missing victims of such abuses.”

The resolution states that Congress stands with the people of Iran who are continuing to hold legitimate and peaceful protests against an oppressive and corrupt regime; and recognizes the rights of the Iranian people and their struggle to establish a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic of Iran.

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