On February 10, 2014 Rep. George Holding of North Carolina asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for a few minutes regarding Iran.
We have largely seen the continuation of the same human rights abuses that we have seen for years in Iran. We have seen the grip of Tehran’s media and Internet sensors tighten since Mr. Rouhani came to power. Web sites have been restricted and mobile phone applications have also been blocked. There have also been reports of numerous newspapers and blogs being shut down altogether and their reporters and editors being arrested”, he said.
“Now, what do they all have in common, Mr. Speaker? What they have in common is these people advocate for reform and are critical of the regime in Iran. We have seen a number of Iran’s executions occur at an alarming rate since Mr. Rouhani took office. There are many theories as to why this is happening, but the fact remains, somewhere upwards of 60 people are being executed each month in Iran. Some of these executions are being carried out in public with those in charge intentionally leaving the bodies to hang from construction cranes in public areas. We have seen the persecution of religious minorities. We should all support freedom of religion, and the regime’s persistent crackdowns and arrests of Christians, the Baha’is, and other religious minorities should trouble everyone”, he added.