Approval of the 'Mahsa Law' in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives

The voting session for the 'Mahsa Law', introduced by several American lawmakers following the suppression of nationwide protests in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, was held on Wednesday, April 25, in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and was approved by a decisive majority. Jim Banks, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced the bipartisan 'Mahsa' legal proposal in late January of this year to sanction Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and individuals and entities close to them for human rights violations and support for terrorism. The session to review this proposal was held following the efforts of several members of the Iranian-American community, with the support of dozens of Democratic and Republican representatives. If approved, this legal proposal will require the President of the United States to periodically decide on the imposition of certain existing sanctions against specific individuals. Following the approval of the 'Mahsa Law' in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, the committee's chairman, stated: 'The Iranian regime is accused of the brutal violation of human rights against the people of this country, and Congress is committed to holding this regime accountable for these crimes.' He added: 'The Mahsa Law, which I am proud to support, obligates the U.S. government to sanction senior regime officials, including the leader and president, and entities close to them for their role in human rights violations and terrorism.' Darrell Issa, a Republican member of the House of Representatives and the session's chairman, read the text of the 'Mahsa Law' in his opening statement, stating that America must use all its legal capabilities to force the Islamic Republic regime to cease the cruel persecution of its citizens. He emphasized that some of the current sanctions were imposed by the Trump administration and some by the Biden administration, and this legal proposal is 'bipartisan.' Katie Manning, a Democratic representative, described the observation of the regime's 'cruel suppressions' and the execution of protesters as 'disgusting,' stating that we must 'send this clear message that we will hold the perpetrators of these actions accountable and support the people of Iran.' Cory Mills, a Republican representative, proposed an amendment related to the technical language used in the text. He also emphasized that representatives must show their support for 'Mahsa Law' to demonstrate that Americans support values such as freedom and women's rights. According to the 'Mahsa Law', the President of the United States must determine within 90 days of its approval and then annually whether individuals or entities meet the necessary conditions for sanctions and provide explanations if they do not fall under sanctions. Requests from Iranians residing in Virginia to U.S. representatives for the approval of the 'Mahsa Law' reflect a collective effort by Iranians to garner support from Virginia lawmakers for the 'Mahsa Law' in Congress. The U.S. has sanctioned four senior military commanders and one government official of the Islamic Republic. Sanctions against four commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were imposed by the U.S., the U.K., and the European Union. The U.S. Secretary of State stated: 'We are determined to disrupt Iran's military procurement program.' Michael McCaul's reaction to the approval of the 'Mahsa Law' in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives.