Sanctions must remain to and Iran’s human rights violations abuse in Iran

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MaryamRajavi said: Our plan for future is an Iran without the death penalty and devoid of torture. Our plan is putting an end to torture and all forms of human rights abuse in Iran.

By Shahriar Kia

Following Iran’s nuclear agreement, the thinking was the country would begin to wind down its human rights violations, especially the use of executions. However, recent reports indicate 33 people were sent to the gallows on Aug. 2.

Congress should dismiss any call for appeasement in relation to Iran, and continue pursuing and holding firm its sanctions against those in leadership who are behind the atrocious human rights violations.

Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi condemned Tehran’s mass execution of Sunni prisoners as “an appalling crime against humanity." 

“The mullahs’ anti-human regime carried out the mass execution of our Sunni brothers on the anniversary of the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran. They are trying in vain to contain the volatile social atmosphere and popular protests by terrorizing the public,” she said.

This is while the Iranian Diaspora communities across the globe are marking the 28th anniversary of the extensive 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners in Iran in the course of a few months, pledging to have their voices heard and raise awareness on Iran’s horrendous human rights record.

This marks one of Iran’s most atrocious mass executions in recent times. Iranian judiciary officials claim 20 of the victims were Sunni Kurds, executed in Gohardasht (Rajaie Shahr) Prison in Karaj, west of the capital, Tehran.  The victims had denied all charges raised against them, and in video clips and text posted on the Internet revealed they had spent time in “solitary confinement” and placed “under torture.”

Iran is known for its skyrocketing number of executions and obtaining coerced confessions through torture and other banned methods. The mullahs have also proved their “sickening enthusiasm” of sending juveniles to the gallows, all in violation of international laws and respecting no bounds in this regard, according to Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Program Director of Amnesty International. International law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child to which Iran is a state party, absolutely prohibits the use of death penalty for crimes committed when the defendant was below 18 years of age. Yet apparently this is a pretext Iran refuses to respect