Pompeo Commends Masih Alinejad for Her Commitment to Human Rights in Iran

The Deputy Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department announced that Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, met with Masih Alinejad, a women's rights activist, on Monday, February 4, and thanked her for her defense of human rights in Iran. Masih Alinejad is the founder of the "My Stealthy Freedom" and "White Wednesdays" campaigns, which oppose the mandatory hijab for women in Iran. In a statement by Robert Palladino, the Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, it was noted: "As part of this administration's efforts to support the people of Iran and amplify their voices, U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Masih Alinejad, a writer, journalist, and prominent women's rights activist. Ms. Alinejad is the founder of the 'My Stealthy Freedom' campaign and also initiated the 'White Wednesdays' campaign; both of these campaigns aim to promote women's freedom of expression and challenge the mandatory hijab laws in Iran, and they have over 3 million followers on social media." He added that in February 2018, the Iranian government violently suppressed protests by brave Iranian women and men against the mandatory hijab. At least 29 women were arrested, and the brutal actions of security and intelligence forces caused them physical harm. Many were forced to flee the country, while others were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. The Deputy Spokesperson emphasized that during today's meeting, the Secretary of State thanked Masih Alinejad for her courage and her ongoing commitment to defending human rights in Iran. The statement continued: The U.S. Secretary of State emphasized the United States' commitment to amplifying the voices of the Iranian people and condemning human rights violations by the Iranian government. The State Department's statement specified that the United States calls on the international community to join Washington in condemning the Iranian government for its repression of the people of this country. Meanwhile, Masih Alinejad tweeted about the meeting: "This meeting lasted 35 minutes, and I did my best to be the voice of those who trusted me." Ms. Alinejad stated that she spoke with the U.S. Secretary of State on three main points: 1) Many Iranians want the Islamic Republic to go. Recognize the voices of the opposition; 2) Invite the international community to condemn 40 years of human rights violations; 3) Visa restrictions on ordinary people, including students and human rights activists, hurt them, not the Iranian government. Masih Alinejad began her career as a journalist about 17 years ago and collaborated with various newspapers in Tehran. She gained notoriety by writing a famous article about large payments to members of parliament, which led to her dismissal from the parliament as a parliamentary reporter. Her other exposé articles in Iranian newspapers caused her problems and summoned her to court. Ms. Alinejad conducted many interviews with the families of victims of the crackdown on protesters after the controversial 2009 presidential election. A few years ago, she launched the "My Stealthy Freedom" page against the mandatory hijab on Facebook and later on Instagram, which received widespread support.