Washington: A resolution showing support for Iranians who have been defying the country's theocracy by risking arrest and even death was unanimously approved by the US House on Wednesday.
The 420-1 vote was the most recent instance of international criticism of the Iranian government, which has been repressing its people brutally ever since Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody in September. The lone opponent was Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., said during a floor discussion on Wednesday, "It is essential that we in the US House of Representatives, a body that is among the greatest symbols of freedom and democracy throughout the world, stand with one voice to affirm our support for the brave Iranian people.
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The resolution was first proposed in the previous Congress by a number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers, and it was revived earlier this month, demonstrating a rare area of agreement for a Congress that is becoming more and more divided. It was passed a few days after the US, Europe, and UK imposed a number of new sanctions on numerous Iranian officials and groups, including the nation's special military and police forces, for their violent crackdown.
According to activists, at least 16 people have received death sentences in secret trials for offences related to the demonstrations. In Iran, hanging is frequently used to carry out death sentences.
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Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has closely followed the unrest, estimates that at least 517 protesters have been killed and over 19,200 have been detained. An official count of those killed or imprisoned has not been released by Iranian authorities.
When 22-year-old Amini died after being detained by Iran's morality police for allegedly breaking the Islamic Republic's strict dress code, the protests got underway in the middle of September. Women have led the demonstrations, with many publicly removing the hijab, or obligatory Islamic headscarf, in defiance of the authorities.
The government's response to the protests, one of the biggest challenges to Iran's theocracy since the 1979 revolution, has been harsh. According to rights organisations, security forces have dispersed demonstrators by using live ammunition, birdshot, tear gas, and batons.
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"We want the people of Iran to know that we are aware of them. The ranking chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, said on the House floor, "We know the risk you're taking and the danger that you face. "Hold on tight."