Henrico Times

Spanberger Joins U.S. House & U.S. Senate Lawmakers in Bipartisan Effort Urging Human Rights Sanctions Against Iranian Parliament Members

 U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger joined a bipartisan, bicameral effort urging the Biden Administration to impose stricter sanctions against members of the Iranian Parliament — or Majiles — in response to their ongoing support of cruel human rights abuses against peaceful protestors.

On September 14, 2022, Iran’s morality police arrested 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for allegedly incorrectly wearing a hijab, and she died shortly after being detained. Following the news of her death, masses of protesters mobilized across 80 cities in Iran, voicing support for women’s rights and democratic governance. Since last September, at least 519 protesters have been killed by the regime, and more than 19,000 Iranians have been arrested. Four of those arrested have been executed, and at least 109 more Iranians have been sentenced to death in grossly unfair trials or face charges that usually result in capital punishment.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Spanberger and a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers urged the Administration to impose sanctions against 227 Iranian Majles members who have called for “no leniency” against the protestors. Additionally, the lawmakers encouraged sanctions to be applied to the family members of these Majles members, many whom still seek to study, work, or acquire property in the United States. The letter also reiterates the United States’ continued support for the brave Iranian protestors and condemns the autocratic regime for its human rights abuses and violations of international law.

“Innocent lives hang in the balance, and there is an urgent need to deter the perpetrators of these murders from committing further violence,” wrote Spanberger and her colleagues. “We strongly encourage the Departments of State and the Treasury to levy further sanctions against Iranian officials and institutions involved in this brutal campaign of intimidation and extermination.”

The lawmakers continued, “The Islamic Republic of Iran lacks democratic legitimacy, and the members of its parliament are not true democratic representatives of the Iranian people.”

The letter was led in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), as well as U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MI), John Hoeven (R-ND), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), James Lankford (R-OK), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). In addition to Spanberger, the letter is led in the U.S. House by U.S. Representatives Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24) and Katie Porter (D-CA-47), as well as Joe Wilson (R-SC-02), Wiley Nickel (D-NC-13), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Michelle Steel (R-CA-45), Nancy Mace (R-SC-01), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), and Tom McClintock (R-CA-05).

Click here to read the letter, and the full letter text is below.

Original source can be found here