U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden introduced a House resolution on Thursday condemning the government of Iran for alleged human rights abuses.
The congressman’s rebuke covers Iran’s alleged 1988 massacre of political prisoners and recent violent uprisings in 2018, 2019, and 2022.
“This resolution affirms the commitment of Congress to support the Iranian people’s pursuit for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran,” Gooden (R-TX) said in a news release.
Gooden pointed out that in 1988, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini initiated a campaign to eliminate perceived political adversaries of the regime.
Amnesty International estimated that executions numbered, at minimum, 5,000. In the resolution, Gooden said that as many as 30,000 political prisoners may have been killed in 1988.
“This resolution shines a light on serious human rights violations perpetrated by the Iranian government, including the brutal suppression of protests, systemic forced disappearances, and the horrific 1988 mass execution of political prisoners,” Gooden declared.
The resolution also includes a call for international protection for Iranian political refugees in Albania.
Gooden requested that the United Nations Human Rights Council include the 1988 massacre in its ongoing investigations.
The resolution includes a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 24, 2023: “The United States condemns Iran’s continued human rights abuses and remains committed to supporting the people of Iran as they face the brutality of the Iranian regime.”
It resolves that “the House of Representatives condemns the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the 1988 massacre and for denying the evidence of this manifest set of crimes against humanity.”
Read the full resolution here.
The U.S. and Iran have been at odds in recent weeks over several issues. Iran has been trying to capture tankers in the Persian Gulf and assisting Russia with the production of drones for the war in Ukraine.
Iran has been discussing the possibility of restarting talks about a nuclear deal with the U.S. and Western allies.
Both countries denied reports that they were close to an interim deal in exchange for Iranian sanctions relief, Reuters reported.
“This report is false and misleading,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said, referring to an article on the London-based Middle East Eye website. “Any reports of an interim deal are false.”