Prominent Iranian-Americans Call On President Biden To Make Ebrahim Raisi Accountable For Crimes Against Humanity – OpEd

The Iranian Professionals’ Ad Hoc Committee on Iran Policy addressed an open letter to President Joe Biden on September 14, 2021, requesting that the American government take bold and immediate measures to show that Ebrahim Raisi does not represent the Iranian people. 

More than 400 Iranian-American scientists, scholars, professors, physicians, industry executives, and professionals signed the letter, urging the President to emphasise in his address to the UN General Assembly the views expressed by a large bipartisan voice in the US Congress, UN experts, and Amnesty International that Raisi, the Iranian regime’s President, should face interrogation. 

The co-signers of this letter requested that President Biden emphasise the Iranian people’s rejection of the regime, as evidenced by the unprecedented boycott of Iran’s rigged elections and widespread uprisings of Iranians seeking a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Republic. “We expect your administration to take the lead at the UN to establish an international investigation to hold Raisi accountable for crimes against humanity,” the Iranian academicians continued. This is a significant step forward in the United States’ efforts to make human rights and democracy a core part of its Iran policy.” 

“The Iranian-American scientists and professionals are deeply troubled that Ebrahim Raisi who is responsible for torture and murderous execution of as many as 30,000 political prisoners in 1988 and many thousands since then, is addressing the UN General Assembly while the Iranian people have already rejected him.” said Professor Kazem Kazerounian, one of the letter’s organisers. 

“We hope that President Biden and the US administration recognise the struggle of the Iranian people for freedom, and pursues policies that side with the Iranian people and their legitimate desire for a free, secular and democratic republic that can co-exist in peace with other countries in the region.” said Jila Andalib, an IT executive. 

“Hamid Nouri – a deputy prosecutor in the Gohardasht prison, and a subordinate to Raisi’s death commission – is currently undergoing trial in Sweden for crimes against humanity,” added Ali Parsa, professor of history at California State University-Fullerton. ” Allowing Raisi to address the UN General Assembly will be an insult to humanity and in particular to the families of his victims.”