Senator Brownback Presses France on Iranian Opposition Figures

Senator Sam Brownback has urged the French government not to return Iranian opposition leaders to Iran. In a letter sent to Jean David Levitte, the French ambassador in Washington, Brownback, a Republican senator from Kansas and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his concerns regarding recent actions by the French government against Iranian opposition leaders. He emphasized that he writes this letter with urgency regarding these operations. Brownback, who has previously supported movements for freedom and democracy in Iran and even submitted the 'Iran Democracy Act' to the U.S. Senate, advised France, which has a long history of supporting human rights and freedom of expression, to act according to its ideals and avoid actions that would link it to the Iranian terrorist regime. He noted that these individuals were granted political asylum by the French government years ago and were legally residing in France at the time of their arrest. Reports indicate that the French government intends to extradite these opposition leaders to Iran through a third country. The senator also referenced Iran's recent nuclear ambitions, which have increasingly alarmed the U.S. and the European Union. He stated that it is clear that such an action would likely result in the death of these individuals as retaliation for their political criticisms of the Iranian regime, particularly their exposure of sensitive information regarding Iran's nuclear programs. Brownback acknowledged that the U.S. and France share concerns regarding the People's Mujahedin of Iran but asserted that no group of individuals deserves the fate intended for them. He warned that while France may gain short-term attention from the Tehran regime by sending these individuals back, it would undoubtedly lose respect worldwide. He also reminded the ambassador of the ongoing protests in Iran, which have been taking place for over a week, and expressed certainty that France does not wish to assist a terrorist regime against its own people who are voicing their demands for freedom. Brownback concluded by referencing the historical friendship between France and the U.S., recalling that France helped the U.S. in its fight for independence, and urged France not to abandon its rich tradition of defending freedom through inappropriate actions.