Congress Members, Ex-White House Officials Back Iranian Protests
By Luca Cacciatore | Tuesday, 04 October 2022 06:10 PM EDT
A group of Congress members, former U.S. officials, and prominent activists pledged their support to the ongoing anti-government protests in Iran, a video released on Tuesday highlighted.
Iranian American For Liberty, an organization that opposes the current Mullah regime, featured GOP Reps. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Claudia Tenney of New York, and Mary Miller of Illinois in their compilation of endorsements for the protestor cause.
"As protests intensify across Iran, I am honored to continue standing with the brave Iranian people as they demand freedom and justice," Tenney wrote on Twitter. "Their courage in the face of the Islamic Republic's terror and brutality is nothing short of heroic."
David M. Friedman, former President Donald Trump's U.S. Ambassador to Israel; State Department official Len Khodorkovsky; and Trump-era national security adviser Victoria Coates also lent their support.
Ellie Cohanim, who was born in Tehran and served as the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism under Trump, delivered a special message in Iran's native language Farsi towards those seeking freedom.
"I'm recording this message to say I proudly support you, the Iranian people," a translation of Cohanim's statement read. "I urge you to not give up until freedom from [the] Islamic Republic is achieved."
IAL Executive Director Bryan E. Leib told Newsmax that the video was put together in opposition to Ayatollah Khamenei, whose government has received criticism for corruption allegations, enforcing strict Sharia law, and murdering dissidents.
"We organized this video message from congressional leaders and former senior Trump administration officials to send a clear and strong message to the Iranian people who are fighting for freedom from the Khamenei regime – We hear you. We see you. We support you." Leib said.
Renewed calls developed after the Guidance Patrol, known as Iran's "morality police," allegedly beat 22-year-old Mahsa Amini to death after claiming she was wearing her hijab improperly, The Guardian noted.
The government has consistently denied any wrongdoing in her death and has claimed Amini suffered from underlying health conditions that caused her brain to swell.