U.S. International Religious Freedom Commission Calls for Action Against Violent Suppression of Protesters in Iran by the Government

On Monday, September 17, coinciding with the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, the U.S. International Religious Freedom Commission urged the U.S. government to support international efforts to hold the Iranian government accountable for violations of religious freedoms. Eric Ueland, the commission's vice president, stated, "The Islamic Republic has recently intensified its violent suppression of peaceful protesters calling for greater freedoms in the country, which the U.S. government must address." He added, "We urge the Biden administration to continue supporting the independent international fact-finding mission of the United Nations regarding Iran and to back the referral of the Islamic Republic's case to the International Criminal Court by the Security Council for investigation into crimes against humanity." Suzy Gelman, a commissioner of the U.S. International Religious Freedom Commission, also remarked, "The time for Iranian regime officials to continue suppressing freedom of religion and belief has come to an end. The Biden administration must unite a coalition of like-minded countries to impose joint sanctions against Iranian regime officials complicit in restrictions on religious freedom in Iran." Abram Paley, Deputy Special Representative for Iran at the U.S. Department of State, emphasized in an exclusive interview with VOA Persian that the Biden administration will continue to support the Iranian people and hold the Islamic Republic accountable. This American diplomat added that following Mahsa Amini's death, her legacy lives on, and Iranian women and girls continue to recount her story while pursuing their demands for a free and democratic Iran, as the world witnesses the brutal repression of the Iranian people by the Islamic Republic. The U.S. International Religious Freedom Commission recommended in its 2024 annual report to the U.S. Department of State that the Islamic Republic be designated as a "country of particular concern" due to its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. This commission is an independent, bipartisan federal agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad, providing recommendations aimed at preventing religious persecution and promoting freedom of religion and belief in foreign policy to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress of the United States.