Dear Mr. President:
Iran Roundtable, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of democracy and human rights in Iran, has the honor to present its compliments to Your Excellency and to present this letter expressing our concerns that the current nuclear negotiation may distract the US from the grave human rights violations and the alarming surge in executions by the Islamic Republic of Iran under President Hassan Rouhani. While fully supporting the Administration’s policy of preventing the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons, we firmly believe that promoting democracy and human rights in Iran, along with the nuclear issue, should remain as the core issues on the agenda of the US-Iran negotiations.
Our humble recommendation reflects the universal demand and aspiration of the Iranian people for human rights and democracy, for establishment of an independent judiciary, for release of all political prisoners, and for freedom of expression, values that are in full accord with your administration’s stated objectives and the long standing US laws and traditions. These values are a precondition for creating long-term peace and stability in Iran and throughout the Middle East.
Mr. President, members of Iran Roundtable are American Iranians seeking your support for the ongoing popular struggle in Iran for the restoration of true democracy and the establishment of a secular and plural state where the rule of law is supreme, where the rights of women and minorities are protected, and where different ethnic and religious groups enjoy self-rule.
Mr. President, our organization reflects and represents Iran’s diverse ethnic and religious groups including Persians, Baluchis, kurds, Arabs, Azeri Turks, and Turkmens. Therefore, it is our honor and duty to ensure that their voice is heard by the leader of the free world.
We thank you Mr. President for Your Excellency’s consideration of this letter and wish your administration all the success.
Respectfully,
Sharif Behruz
President
Iran Roundtable
