Rep John Garamendi supports Iran protests
Bipartisan members of congress joined Iranian Americans from across the U.S. at a House Briefing titled,” Iran Uprising: The Nation Rises for Freedom,” and expressed support for ongoing protests in Iran urged the international community to hold Iranian regime accountable for indiscriminate and deadly use of force.
Rep John Garamendi (D-CA) who is a senior member of the House Committee on Armed Services praised the Organization of Iranian American Community for working to bring to congressional attention.
Rep John Garamendi: Ross Amin was a dear friend. Ross provided information about what is happening in Iran. We miss him and I’m sure you do also. Along with the thousand or so Iranians that have been killed recently by the government in Iran.
So, yes, we do miss Ross and I’m sure all of you are aware of your friends, perhaps relatives, who have been killed recently in the crackdown by the very repressive regime in Iran.
Got a long way to get here. Also of a country that has a history of several thousand years, there have been difficult times in the past and there’s certainly difficult times now. But I join with you in looking to a future in which democracy and human rights are in Iran.
Rep John Garamendi added: I join with you. That should occur in the near future not in the next millennium, but in the near future. And I know (your work) bringing to our attention here in Congress of the United States the situation in Iran, the desire of the Iranian people to have a open and free society and a government that respects human rights, respects the individual rights and their opinions and individual right to determine what the government is and will do.
So, there are many different challenges that confront us. I just left a two hour meeting with the Secretary of Defense and the Chief of Staff. And Iran was very much a part of that discussion. Iran’s malign activity throughout the Middle East is of enormous concern to us.
Rep John Garamendi highlighted: So all of us need to work together to address those challenges. And in particular, be very much aware of the efforts of organizations such as yours and people within Iran who are fighting for their freedoms. So, keep us informed, stay strong, stay determined. Thank you very much.
