U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) has written to the U.S. Secretary of State Department Antony Blinken, as the co-chair of the Iranian Women Congressional Caucus and the Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus, “to convey our deep concerns regarding the recent developments in Ashraf 3 since June 20, 2023.”
Congresswoman Mace states in her letter that: “Regrettably, we have witnessed a significant infringement upon the fundamental rights of the residents of Ashraf-3, who are members of the Iranian opposition group MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq). It is distressing to note that these rights have been curtailed and, in certain instances, completely denied, particularly impacting the thousands of women and young girls among them.
“We are also deeply concerned to learn that residents in Ashraf 3 have been deprived of access to the Internet. This is a clear violation of the treaties to which the Prime Minister of Albania has declared adherence in his 2016 letter to members of European Parliament. According to the European Human Rights Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, their fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, among others, must be respected.
“Given the Iranian regime’s efforts to eradicate its political opposition both at home and in the diaspora, it is critical that the State Department begins immediate engagement with both the leadership of the Ashraf-3 compound and our ally, the Albanian government, to safeguard the rights of the Iranian political refugees in Ashraf-3 based on the guidelines of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as those stipulated in the 1951 Geneva Convention and European Human Rights Convention.”
Recalling that “The U.S. Government facilitated the original relocation of these political refugees to Albania,” Rep. Mace stressed that that the U.S. government “has a vital role to play in working with Albania to secure the rights of Ashrf-3 residents.”