USA: The Work of the Fact-Finding Committee Must Continue; Human Rights Violations in Iran are 'Terrifying' and 'Concerning'

The spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State announced that the Biden administration strongly supports the extension of the work of the fact-finding committee and the mission of the UN Human Rights Council's rapporteur on Iran for another year. Matthew Miller stated at a press conference on Thursday, March 15, that 'a resolution on both matters is currently under consideration by members of the UN Security Council,' adding that today, human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran are 'terrifying and concerning.' He expressed this concern citing the report of the UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding committee, which referred to the government's treatment of protesters during the 'Women, Life, Freedom' demonstrations as 'crimes against humanity.' The spokesperson did not provide a clear answer to a question from the Persian section of Voice of America regarding whether the Biden administration supports referring the Islamic Republic's case to the International Criminal Court, simply stating, 'I have nothing to announce today.' The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on Wednesday, March 14, called on the Biden administration to support the referral of the Islamic Republic's case to the Hague in the UN Security Council based on the fact-finding committee's report. The U.S. State Department spokesperson also left unanswered a question about the request to prevent Iranian sports teams from participating in this year's Olympics in Paris. Senator Marsha Blackburn on Wednesday, March 14, sent a letter to Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee, requesting that Iranian teams be barred from participating in the Paris Summer Olympics until the Islamic Republic stops its human rights violations. In response to a question from the Persian section of Voice of America regarding the State Department's position on Senator Blackburn's request, Matthew Miller said, 'We continue to seek various ways to respond to the regime's mistreatment of its citizens.' Meanwhile, the spokesperson confirmed reports that the Biden administration has once again exempted Iraq from U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic so that the Baghdad government can pay its debt for electricity imports to Tehran. However, Miller emphasized that the amount of debt will not actually reach the Islamic Republic as it will be deposited into an account controlled in a third country to be used for purchasing medicine, food, medical supplies and equipment, agricultural industry items, and other non-sanctioned humanitarian items. This is the twenty-first time such an exemption has been granted to Iraq since the presidency of Donald Trump.