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

7/21/07

Joe Stork

Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa

Human Rights Watch

350 Fifth Ave., 34^th Floor

New Yor= k, NY 10118-= 3299

Tel: (212) 290-4700

Fax: (212) 736-1300

E-mail: hrwnyc@hrw= .org

Dear Mr. Joe Stork:

The news of your participation at an event in Washington, DC on July 26, 2007, arranged by National Iranian American Council (NIAC), h= as become a source of profound distress among the freedom loving Iranian and Iranian-American community: a community supporting the legitimate aspirat= ions of the Iranian people for a democratic and secular leadership.

It is shocking that HRW has ignored the disturbing f= acts about NIAC and is promoting its event that is announced under the title, “Human Rights in Iran and U.S. Foreign Policy Options”.&= nbsp; It is shocking because NIAC is an organization that has been lobby= ing for establishing the unconditional relations between the U.S. and the Isl= amic Regime of Iran (IR) since its inception, and has not shown any concern wh= atsoever about the human rights violations in Iran. We don’t need to go far = to prove these claims about 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 Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch is touted as a supporter of human 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 and appeals issued by the HRW to stop imminent 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 Human Rights Watch = is promoting an Islamic Regime lobby group under the banner of human rights.=

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Resp= ectfully,

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