Iranian Americans held a gathering in front of the U.S. Congress building on Capitol Hill on Friday calling on the U.S. administration to deny a visa for Iranian regime President Ebrahim Raisi as he seeks to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month.
Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held their gathering in memory of the over 30,000 political prisoners executed by the mullahs’ regime during Iran’s summer 1988 prison massacre. Most of the victims were PMOI/MEK members and supporters.
Washington – Capital Grounds Exhibition
Call to ban #Iran regime President Ebrahim Raisi from the entering the U.S.
Raisi is best known for his direct role in the summer #1988Massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners in Iran.#NoVisa4Raisi pic.twitter.com/fCpR2khg89
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 12, 2022
Raisi, as a member of the regime’s “Death Commission” during the 1988 prison massacre, was directly involved determining the fate of each prisoner through kangaroo trials that lasted mere minutes. The number of executions in Iran are skyrocketing during Raisi’s tenure, with reports indicating 71 executed in the month of July 2022 alone. Such an individual with so much blood on his hands should not be allowed to enter the U.S., let alone the United Nations to deliver a speech at the General Assembly.
“Teenagers were executed by the mullahs’ regime”
Friday’s gathering and exhibition was organized by the Organization of Iranian American Communities, displaying around 2,000 photos of those executed by the mullahs’ regime during the months of August and September 1988 in Iran. Some of the victims were in their teenage years when executed by the mullahs’ regime.
Thanks Congressman Weber @TXRandy14. You are right in calling #NoVisa4Rasisi. @OrgIAC sponsor a photo exhibition today, featuring 100s of the victims ‘pictures of #1988Masacre in Iran @SecBlinken #ProsecuteRaisiNow https://t.co/d5CkUhnOUl pic.twitter.com/eFk96Dpgfp
— OIAC Organization of Iranian American Communities (@OrgIAC) August 12, 2022
Many of these victims had their photos made public for the first time as their family members said they found the courage to provide their photos following a Swedish court recently sentencing Hamid Noury, a former Iranian regime operative, to life in prison for his role in the 1988 massacre.
Several political figures, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, and a number of family members of the 1988 massacre victims delivered speeches during Friday’s event, which have been held for four years now.
https://twitter.com/OrgIAC/status/1558139749206003712
“There is nothing more important than indicating that their life meant something. That we cannot suffer violence again. We want a democratic government. We want Sister Maryam’s ten-point plan to be in place,” said Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, referring to Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and her ten-point plan for a future Iran. The PMOI/MEK is the cornerstone member of the NCRI.
Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) addressing the exhibition today.
Supporting @Maryam_Rajavi 10-points-plan for a #FreeIran ✊#FreeIran10PointPlan pic.twitter.com/WlLR7J2dwn
— OIAC: Organization of Iranian American Communities (@OrgIAC) August 12, 2022
A number of Members of Congress are calling on the U.S. administration to deny a visa for Raisi. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida tweeted the following: “Giving a visa to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to visit the United States after exposing his plot to kill U.S. government officials only encourages further attacks on American citizens. #NoVisa4Raisi”
Giving a visa to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to visit the United States after exposing his plot to kill U.S. government officials only encourages further attacks on American citizens. #NoVisa4Raisi
https://t.co/FLtMkPXHho— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) August 11, 2022
Rep. Randy Weber also believes Raisi should not be provided a visa to enter U.S. soil.
“Secretary Blinken must deny U.S. entry visa for Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi, a well-documented murderer. We must not afford such a predator the privilege of stepping onto U.S. soil or the legitimacy of addressing the United Nations,” Rep. Weber tweeted.
Secretary Blinken must deny U.S. entry visa for Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi, a well-documented murderer. We must not afford such a predator the privilege of stepping onto U.S. soil or the legitimacy of addressing the United Nations. https://t.co/WnzIwhv8BC
— Randy Weber (@TXRandy14) August 12, 2022
These calls to deny Raisi a visa to enter the U.S. come at a time when the U.S. Justice Department and FBI have revealed a murder-for-hire plot by the Iranian regime and Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) to assassinate former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Furthermore, on Friday, a 24-year-old man by the name of Hadi Matar attacked and stabbed writer Salman Rushdie in western New York state based on the 1989 fatwa issued by former Iranian regime supreme leader Ruhollah Khomeini. The Iranian Resistance has strongly condemned the attack on Salman Rushdie.
The Iranian Resistance strongly condemns the attack on #SalmanRushdie in New York, carried out based on Khomeini's fatwa in 1989.
During the past 34 years Khamenei and other regime officials have constantly reiterated the necessity of implementing this anti-Islamic fatwa.— Mohammad Mohaddessin (@Mohaddessin) August 12, 2022
Iran’s state media have been republishing Khomeini’s fatwa and even praising the attacker. Current Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has long reiterated that Khomeini’s fatwa stands today as it was issued back in 1989. Investigations indicate Matar was a supporter of the mullahs’ regime and its IRGC, as seen in his now blocked Facebook page.
