{"id":2138403,"date":"2024-01-02T13:01:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T18:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cardin-blocks-bipartisan-bill-to-sanction-iranian-leaders-for-human-rights-abuses\/"},"modified":"2024-01-02T13:03:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T18:03:40","slug":"cardin-blocks-bipartisan-bill-to-sanction-iranian-leaders-for-human-rights-abuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cardin-blocks-bipartisan-bill-to-sanction-iranian-leaders-for-human-rights-abuses\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardin thwarts bipartisan bill sanctioning Iranian leaders over human rights abuses"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcardin-blocks-bipartisan-bill-to-sanction-iranian-leaders-for-human-rights-abuses%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2138403&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Activists Slam Democratic \u200bSenator for Stalling Bill that Overwhelmingly Passed in House<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>Ben Cardin (Mark \u200cWilson\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>Democratic senator Ben Cardin (Md.) is facing backlash for\u200b obstructing a bipartisan bill in the upper chamber that\u200b would impose sanctions on Iran&#8217;s \u2062leadership for their involvement in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/john-kerry-appears-to-be-profiting-from-chinas-ongoing-genocide-via-a-1-million-investment-report\/\" title=\"John Kerry Appears to Be Profiting from China's 'Ongoing Genocide' via a  Million Investment: Report\">widespread human rights violations<\/a>. This \u200dmove has sparked\u2064 outrage \u200damong Iranian-American dissidents\u2063 who have tirelessly advocated for the legislation for months.<\/p>\n<p>Cardin, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, informed activists at the end of last year that he would not be advancing the \u2064MAHSA Act. This act \u200dis named after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who was tragically killed by\u2063 Tehran&#8217;s\u200c morality police in \u2062September 2022. Amini&#8217;s death ignited nationwide protests that continue to simmer more than a year later.<\/p>\n<p>The bill, which\u200b received overwhelming\u200b support in the House with over \u200c400\u2062 votes, \u200caims to \u2064sanction Iran&#8217;s\u2064 supreme leader and his \u2063inner circle for their long history of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/just-like-the-good-old-days-joe-biden-invades-syria-with-convoy-of-us-troops-and-choppers-on-first-full-day-as-president\/\" title=\"Just Like the Good Old Days: Joe Biden Invades Syria with Convoy of US Troops and Choppers on First Full Day as President\">human rights abuses<\/a>. These abuses include the murder and torture\u200c of dissidents who oppose the regime, particularly those who protested \u200dagainst Amini&#8217;s killing and were\u200c subsequently\u2063 detained by \u2062the country&#8217;s security forces.<\/p>\n<p>As the head of \u200cthe Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Cardin possesses the power\u2062 to delay\u200d the bill and prevent it from reaching a full vote in the chamber. Iranian dissidents, who\u200b view this legislation as a crucial\u2063 means \u200dto increase pressure on the\u2062 Islamic Republic, have expressed their outrage over\u200b Cardin&#8217;s decision to stall its progress.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At this time, our office \u2063will not be moving forward with this bill,&#8221; Cardin&#8217;s \u200bstaff wrote to Iranian-American activist Nick Nikbakht, who shared\u2064 the correspondence\u2064 on \u200bX. Nikbakht, alongside \u200ca \u200dscreenshot of the \u2063email,\u2064 criticized\u2063 Cardin, stating, &#8220;Killing innocent civilians in Israel, Ukraine &#038; Iran is\u2064 not enough for Cardin.&#8221;\u2064 The\u200d email was \u2063sent to \u2064Nikbakht after more than \u200d100 of the senator&#8217;s constituents\u2062 organized a joint letter in support of the MAHSA Act.<\/p>\n<p>Nikbakht revealed that he and other Iranian-American activists had\u2062 met\u200d with Cardin&#8217;s office, as well as senators from both sides of the aisle, to garner support for the\u2064 sanctions bill.\u200b Their goal was to ensure that the bill successfully passed\u2063 through the Senate, following its bipartisan endorsement in the House. Unfortunately, these efforts have now hit a roadblock due \u200cto Cardin&#8217;s actions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Despite \u2063persistent\u200b advocacy, multiple meetings, and heartfelt pleas \u200dby \u200dMaryland constituents who sent letters, we&#8217;ve seen no movement from Senator Cardin and, more recently, been informed that they\u200b will\u2064 not\u200d be moving\u200c forward with the bipartisan human rights bill,&#8221; Nikbakht told the <em>Free Beacon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The reasons\u200b behind Cardin&#8217;s decision to block the \u200bbill remain unclear, as his office did not respond\u2062 to a request for comment from the\u2062 <em>Washington Free\u200b Beacon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Representative Jim Banks (R., Ind.), one of \u2062the sponsors of \u2063the MAHSA Act\u2064 in \u200cthe \u200cHouse, \u200cemphasized the urgency of holding Iran&#8217;s leaders accountable, especially with Hamas receiving significant support from Iran in its conflict against Israel. Banks stated, &#8220;Senate Democrats \u2064are delaying Israel aid while refusing\u2063 to \u2062sanction Iran, the leading state backer of terrorism \u2062and the sworn enemy of Israel. We&#8217;re letting\u200c our enemies off the hook and leaving our allies in the lurch. It&#8217;s\u2063 a\u200c recipe for chaos.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Iranian activists like Nikbakht have been advocating for the MAHSA Act long before the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East. They are also championing other Iran-related bills that have already \u200bpassed the House but\u200c are currently stalled\u2064 in the Senate. These bills aim to impose additional sanctions \u200don Iran&#8217;s leadership and target the regime&#8217;s sources of funding.<\/p>\n<p>Cardin&#8217;s office has attracted attention\u2064 due to\u2064 a former\u2063 aide, Aidan Maese-Czeropski, who \u200dwas caught on film engaging in \u200csexual acts\u200d inside a Senate hearing room. The \u200baide, who has since been fired, also directed\u2064 anti-Semitic slurs, such \u2062as &#8220;Free Palestine,&#8221; at Jewish congressman Max Miller (R., Ohio), as reported by the <em>Free \u2064Beacon<\/em> last \u2063year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why\u2064 is the MAHSA Act significant\u200c for Iranian-Americans and their advocacy for tougher measures against Tehran&#8217;s regime?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064To \u200bpush for a swift passage of the legislation\u200c and ensure that those responsible\u2063 for human rights abuses\u2062 in Iran\u200b are \u200bheld accountable. However, Cardin&#8217;s decision\u200b to stall the bill has left activists frustrated and disillusioned.<\/p>\n<p>The MAHSA Act holds great significance for Iranian-Americans, who have long been advocating for tougher measures against Tehran&#8217;s regime. It represents an opportunity to stand up for human rights and bring\u200c attention\u2062 to the \u2062oppressive practices in Iran.<\/p>\n<p>The Iranian regime&#8217;s track record\u200c of human rights \u200babuses is well-documented. Dissidents who oppose the regime are often subjected to\u200c torture, imprisonment, and even death. The murder\u200d of Mahsa Amini and subsequent protests \u200chighlighted the urgency of addressing \u200bthese issues and holding \u2063those \u200bresponsible accountable.<\/p>\n<p>It is disheartening to see a\u2063 bill with overwhelming support in the House being stalled \u200bin the Senate. Cardin&#8217;s decision to delay the legislation \u2064not only undermines the efforts of Iranian-American activists \u200bbut also sends \u2063a message to\u200b the\u200b Iranian regime that their actions will go unchecked.<\/p>\n<p>Cardin, as the chair of the\u2062 Senate Foreign Relations Committee, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-political-activism-and-influence-of-bill-gates\/\" title=\"The Political Activism And Influence of Bill Gates\">wields significant influence<\/a> in determining the fate \u2063of this bill. By choosing to obstruct its progress, he is effectively hindering the\u200c pursuit of justice for the victims of human rights \u200dabuses in Iran.<\/p>\n<p>The response from Iranian-American dissidents has been one of outrage and disappointment. \u200dThey see Cardin&#8217;s actions as a betrayal of their trust and a disservice to the cause of human\u2062 rights. Activist \u200dNick Nikbakht&#8217;s criticism of Cardin reflects the frustration felt by many in\u200c the \u2062community.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2062 MAHSA Act represents \u200ba crucial avenue for increasing pressure on the Iranian regime and \u200bsending a clear message that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pramila-jayapal-breaks-with-democratic-colleagues-to-support-rebuke-gop-leveled-at-her\/\" title=\"Pramila Jayapal supports GOP rebuke, diverging from fellow Democrats.\">human\u2063 rights violations<\/a> will not be\u2063 tolerated. Its passage would\u2062 symbolize a step forward\u200c in holding the Iranian leadership accountable for their actions.<\/p>\n<p>It is now up to \u2064Cardin \u200dto reconsider\u200d his stance and recognize the importance of this legislation. Iranian-American dissidents and supporters of human rights will continue to advocate for the bill&#8217;s passage and hold\u2062 Cardin accountable for his \u2064decision to stall its \u2062progress.<\/p>\n<p>The international community \u200cmust also take note \u200bof this development and condemn any attempts to undermine efforts to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/human-rights-watch-olympics-sponsors-must-pressure-china-to-stop-atrocities\/\" title=\"Human Rights Watch: Olympics Sponsors Must Pressure China to Stop Atrocities\">address human rights abuses<\/a> \u2062in Iran. It is essential for governments and individuals to\u2062 stand \u200bin solidarity with the Iranian people and support \u200ctheir quest for freedom, justice, and human rights.<\/p>\n<p>The passage of the MAHSA Act would not only provide justice for\u2064 the victims of human \u200brights abuses in Iran but also serve as a powerful reminder that the world will\u200d not \u200dturn a blind eye to such atrocities.\u200d It is crucial that this bill moves forward and that those\u200c responsible for these crimes are held accountable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Activists criticize Dem senator for obstructing bill passed in House. Ben Cardin (Mark Wilson\/Getty Images) Senator Ben Cardin (Md.) is hindering progress on a bipartisan bill to sanction Iran&#8217;s leadership for human rights abuses. Iranian-American dissidents, who have been advocating for the bill, express their outrage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2138404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2138403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2138403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2138403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2138403\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2138404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2138403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2138403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2138403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}