Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)

Washington, December 10, 2014 – On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, Congressional leaders and prominent political figures joined Organization of Iranian-American Community (OIAC-US) activists and congressional staff at a briefing on Iran’s Human Rights Violations. Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), who Chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee denounced the recent acid attacks on women in Iran and condemned the 2013 massacre of Iranian dissidents living at Camp Ashraf, Iraq. Referring to the acid attacks and passing of a related Iranian law, Mr. Royce added, “you do not expect the reaction of the Parliament of that state to pass legislation that says, “If you’re enforcing Sharia law, if that’s what you believe you’re doing, you’re indemnified against the consequences of your action.”’ Reiterating the views of Iranians everywhere, Mr. Royce highlighted results of a recent Gallop poll showing, “that 2/3 of the people inside Iran want a Western style democracy without a theocracy.”