A Mockery of Human Rights by Islamic Regime of Iran with cooperation= of the United Nation

7/21/07

Zahir Janmohamed

Advocacy Director, Middle East and North Africa, Amn= esty International USA<= /st1:country-region>

Amnesty International

600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, 5th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20003

Tel: (202) 544-0200 Ext: 318
Fax: (202) 546-7142

Dear Mr. Janmohamed:

The news of your participation at an event in Washington, DC on July 26, 2007, arranged by NIAC, has become a source of profound distr= ess among the freedom loving Iranian and Iranian-American community: a commun= ity supporting the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people for a democra= tic and secular leadership.

What is greatly shocking is that one of the four spo= nsors of this event formed under the title, “Human Rights in Iran and U.S. Foreign Policy Options”, is Amnesty International. It is shocking because NIAC is an organization that has been lobbying for establishing the unconditional relations between the U.S. and the Islamic Regime of Iran (IR) since its inception, and has not shown any concern whatsoever about the human rights violations in Iran. We don’t need to go far to prove these claims a= bout NIAC.

At a time when terrorist activities of the Islamic r= egime of Iran (IRI) against the Iranian people and the entire world has been documented, your participation in an event promoted by an organization th= at openly announces its support for unconditional relations between the US a= nd a terrorist regime, raises serious questions. This is in complete contrast = to mission and mandates of the Amnesty international.

Amnesty International is touted as a supporter of hu= man rights and democratic values.

We urge you not to participate in the events organiz= ed by the Islamic Regime’s lobby groups that are trying to manipulate the= American Political System to legitimize the Islamic Regime.

Everything that this organization does whether it is= an event for youth, forming a conference, supporting the anti-war movements, dealing with Iranian/American issues or local politics, it is all directl= y or indirectly designed to serve one and only one purpose: Establishing relations between the Un= ited States and one of the most brutal violators of human rights, the Islamic Regime of Iran. A ca= reful look at the NIAC website, its public statements, public events, and its nonpartisan support of the U.S. political figures who share NIAC vision in dealing with the Islamic Regim= e, would be enough to show you what NIAC really stands for. Not only does NIAC not deny this= , but like all other lobby groups declares very proudly that it does so because= of its love for Iranian people!

On the issue of human rights, we challenge you to fi= nd one statement issued by NIAC since its formation in condemning the Islamic Re= gime for violating the basic human rights of Iranians. Not even one single sentence has= been issued by NIAC in condemnation of IR for stoning, torture, execution of political prisoners, or the treatment of women and religious minorities.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> If you check the NIAC website, y= ou cannot find any reference to human rights in its mission statement, goals, programs or anywhere else. = None of the many urgent actions issued by Amnesty International to stop immine= nt execution of political prisoners or stoning of men and women to death, has been distributed by NIAC.

Mr. Trita Parsi, the President of this group was ex-congressman Bob Ney’s advisor who is serving now a 30-month jail term for bribery and lobbying for the Islamic Regime among other things.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> NIAC was promoting Bob Ney for y= ears as a friend of Iranian people!

It is so ironic that the event organized by NIAC is = going to discuss the human rights situation in Iran. This event is a mocke= ry of human rights and an insult to all those who have paid dearly in Iran for standing for their rights.

I would like to urge you to re-consider your partici= pation in this event. It will be h= eart breaking for many freedom loving Iranians to see that AI is promoting an Islamic Regime lobby group under the banner of human rights.

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Resp= ectfully,