Iranian opposition forces show bipartisan allies, flex political muscle at annual gathering in DC

July 11, 2021; Independent

Lawmakers from both parties broke through the partisan wasteland that is Washington DC this weekend to show support for Iran’s largest opposition movement and call for an end to the Iranian government’s various misdeeds.

At a conference on Saturday hosted by the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC), Republicans and Democrats shared a virtual stage and a common message of support for the group, a rarity especially following the events of 6 Jan which have left Capitol Hill more divided than ever.

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Lawmakers tout bipartisan support for resolution criticizing Iran's government

April 27, 2021; The Hill

Bipartisan support is growing on Capitol Hill for a Republican-led resolution condemning Iran’s alleged human rights violations and sponsorship of militant groups in the Middle East.

Lawmakers on Tuesday sent a letter to President Biden, noting that support for the bill was expected to “steadily increase” in the House, while telling the president that lawmakers were “encouraged to know that you are standing up for democracy and human rights around the world.”

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Iranian Diplomat Sentenced to 20 Years for Foiled Bomb Plot in France

February 4, 2021; WSJ

Assadollah Assadi is the first Iranian diplomat convicted for terrorism in Europe in a case that has soured Iranian relations with a key partner

A Belgian court sentenced an Iranian diplomat to 20 years in prison for plotting a bomb attack against a gathering of Iranian dissidents outside Paris in 2018, in a case that has strained Tehran’s ties with Europe.

Assadollah Assadi, a counselor at Iran’s embassy in Vienna, was Thursday convicted of organizing the foiled attack that targeted a rally held by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an umbrella opposition group dominated by the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, or MEK.

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Iranian Americans Outline a Comprehensive, Bi-partisan Iran Policy for 2021

December 19, 2020; EIN Pressnews

Focusing on Human rights violations, regional threats and global terrorism

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, December 19, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On December 15, 2020, the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) hosted a virtual event on US policy toward Iran. The event was titled “Iranian Americans Call for a Comprehensive US-Iran Policy” and featured several members of OIAC's Advisory Board, members of OIAC's Young Professionals and Students Chapter, and a panel of Iranian American community leaders. The focus was on countering the escalating human rights violations in Iran as well as the regional and terror threats posed by the Islamic Republic.

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Iran diplomat on trial over plot to bomb opponents in France

November 25, 2020; AP News

BRUSSELS (AP) — The bomb was meant to explode in a Paris suburb during a huge rally being held by an exiled Iranian opposition group. It could have caused carnage.

Instead, the explosion ripped apart the robot that army specialists were using to defuse the bomb after it was found in the car of a couple arrested in a Brussels suburb.

More than two years after the last-minute, cross-border operation that thwarted the planned attack, the couple go on trial Friday alongside two Iranian citizens, including a diplomat believed to be the plot’s mastermind.

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