The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has requested the Biden administration to provide information on any steps taken to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its human rights violations, according to a letter sent to the White House last week. Republican Congressman Brian Steel and other Republican lawmakers seek to ensure that actions targeting the Iranian regime's support for terrorism and crimes against its people continue. They also want to know what the Biden administration has done to ensure accountability for the Iranian government regarding its ongoing civil rights crackdown, which includes killing, torturing, and detaining anti-regime protesters who took to the streets in recent months.
The letter comes just under a week after the second anniversary of the brutal crackdown by Iran in 2019 against protesters, which resulted in over 1,500 deaths. The Washington Free Beacon reported that a resolution from the Republican-led House was introduced last week to formally commemorate the incident in the United States. Republicans view the Biden administration as downplaying human rights violations committed by the Iranian government to avoid angering Tehran while the president seeks a modified version of the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Lawmakers wrote: "Your administration has claimed that its foreign policy will be based on human rights and democracy. The Iranian people, who continue to oppose the regime at every available opportunity, similarly seek human rights and democracy and a government that represents their values and interests. Given the gap between the people and the regime in Iran, we see that standing with and supporting the Iranian people is not only a strategic necessity but also a moral obligation."
They added: "As the United States prepares for 'indirect diplomacy' with the Islamic Republic regarding its nuclear program and issues like sanctions relief, a return to the nuclear agreement, and other issues gaining prominence, the United States cannot afford to ignore human rights issues or relegate them to the back seat." They continued: "Easing sanctions on the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism will only empower and strengthen those engaged in domestic repression and external aggression."
The lawmakers want to know what steps, if any, the Biden administration has taken to hold Iranian regime officials accountable for the November 2019 campaign. These steps include any actions by the Biden administration to promote human rights and democracy in Iran. They questioned, "Why have there been no sanctions under the Magnitsky Act against individuals in the Iranian government?" referencing legislation that allows for sanctions against governments and individuals committing human rights violations. It is noted that the Magnitsky Act has been used to punish Russia, Syria, and other governments for similar crimes.
Republican lawmakers also want the Biden administration to officially recognize the 2019 repressive campaign as a massacre, a move likely to provoke Iran while it considers entering into diplomatic talks with the U.S.
