The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Calls for Biden's Support for Accountability Efforts Against Iran

On the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in the custody of the morality police and the subsequent nationwide protests, the "U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom" (USCIRF) urged the U.S. government to support efforts to hold the Islamic Republic accountable for violations of religious freedoms. In a statement released on Monday, September 17, the commission referenced the circumstances surrounding Mahsa Amini's death, who was arrested by the morality police in Tehran for "improper hijab" and died after three days in a coma on September 25, 2022, at Kasra Hospital in Tehran. Her death sparked widespread protests in Iran known as "Women, Life, Freedom," which were met with severe government repression. Eric Ueland, Vice Chair of the USCIRF, stated, "The U.S. government must support international efforts to hold the Iranian regime accountable for severe violations of religious freedom." Aryan Shirpish, the uncle of Pouya Bakhtiari, one of the protest victims, was arrested and called on the Biden administration to "continue supporting the UN fact-finding mission regarding Iran and back the referral of Iran's situation by the Security Council to the International Criminal Court for investigations into crimes against humanity" against Iranian protesters. Suzy Gelman, a commissioner of the USCIRF, also emphasized that "it is time for Iranian officials to be held accountable for the repression of individuals based on their freedom of religion or belief." She stressed that "the Biden administration should unite a coalition of like-minded countries to impose joint sanctions against Iranian officials complicit in restrictions on religious freedom in Iran." In its annual report for 2024, the USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Iran as a "country of particular concern" due to systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. On the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, foreign ministers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the U.S. issued a joint statement referencing the "brutal crackdowns" by the Islamic Republic's security forces over the past two years, emphasizing that despite the deaths of at least 500 people and the arrest of over 20,000, the global "Women, Life, Freedom" movement remains united. The statement also referenced issues raised in the UN fact-finding committee's report, criticizing the Islamic Republic for continuing human rights violations and failing to cooperate with the recognized international committee. Australia sanctioned five Iranian officials involved in suppressing protesters, while the European Union, in a statement marking the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death and the start of the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, called on the Islamic Republic to end all forms of systemic discrimination against women. Despite these requests, the Islamic Republic has increased pressure on the families seeking justice by raiding their homes and arresting several family members before the second anniversary of the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests. On the anniversary of their daughter's death, Mahsa Amini's family was not allowed to leave their home, visit her grave, or hold a memorial service.