“The recent remarks by US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the rights of religious minorities in Iran are completely baseless, inconsistent with existing realities, and merely in line with political propaganda with anti-Iran objectives,” reads a statement penned by Iranian religious minority lawmakers.
“Iran is among the countries that has provided a proper, secure and guaranteed condition within its Constitution for religious minorities to practice their religious rituals and enjoy social rights and cultural freedom,” the statement adds.
The statement then censures US’ total silence toward the violation of rights of Shia communities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, the genocide of Muslims in Mynamar, Yemen and Gaza, as well as its support to Israel’s newly-approved apartheid laws in Palestine’s occupied territories, saying these examples are a clear indication of the US leaders’ lack of commitment to religious freedoms and human rights values.
The statement was signed by Karen Khanlari, representative of Armenians in northern Iran, Jorge Abrahamian, representative of Armenians in southern Iran, Yonathan Betkolia, representative of Assyrians in Iran, Siamak Moreh Sedgh, representative of Persian Jews, and Esfandiar Ekhtiari, representative of Zoroastrians in Iran.
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