Royce: Iran’s UN human rights report calls for caution

Responding to a United Nations report that shows increasing human rights violations in Iran, House Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said the U.S. should be cautious when negotiating with the country.

“It is difficult, if not impossible, to believe that the regime would be a peaceful nuclear power when it behaves so violently toward its own citizens,” Royce said on Tuesday. “Common sense says we must be intensely skeptical of Iran’s intentions.”

A UN investigator reported at least 852 executions in Iran since June 2013, including eight juveniles. Royce pointed out that “all too often, women bear the brunt of this brutality,” noting the case of 26-year-old Reyhaneh Jabbari being hanged for killing a man she accused of raping her.

“While deeply troubling, this UN human rights report does not come as a surprise,” Royce said. “Under ‘reformist’ President Rouhani, the Iranian regime continues to commit grave human rights abuses against the Iranian people.”

Royce also referenced a series of recent acid attacks, mostly against women not fully covered by their hijabs. The acid, thrown my men on motorcycles, burned and blinded their victims.

“The regime responded to popular protests by detaining a prominent female human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, and passing a law that could incite, rather than discourage, similar heinous attacks,” Royce said. “I fear that Iran’s Basij militia will see this new law as an even more liberal license to attack Iranian women for how they are dressed. Hopefully Iranian society will step up to these acts of cowardice.”