Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., introduced a Senate resolution Thursday night condemning Iran's human rights record, calling for an immediate release of those wrongly imprisoned, and urging the restoration of meaningful human rights for all of Iran's citizens.
According to Levin, some of the human rights violations against its citizens Iran is guilty of include torture and cruel and inhuman treatment; high incidence of executions (including juveniles); using stoning as a method of execution; violent repression of women; and human rights violations of religious and ethnic minorities.
"This resolution puts the Senate on record in condemnation of Iran's deplorable violations of basic human rights," Levin said.
He added, "The Iranian government must stop state-sanctioned violence against its own citizens and live up to its professed ideals and international commitments to protect the human rights of its citizens and others."
Levin also noted that American citizens have also been the targets of the Iranian regime, including Robert Levinson, who has been missing in Iran since 2007; Reza Taghavi, who has been held in prison in Iran without charges since 2008; and Roxana Saberi, who had been charged and convicted of espionage after a one-hour trial in January 2009 before her release in May 2009.
Though not mentioned by Levin, Americans Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal and Sarah Shourd have been in Iranian custody since July, when they were arrested in Iran after accidentally crossing the border from northern Iraq while hiking.
"Passage of this resolution would add the U.S. Senate's loud and clear voice of condemnation to the many voices inside Iran, and out, calling for the restoration of basic human rights for the Iranian people," Levin said.
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