REZA ALIZADEH | ALL ARTICLES Reza Alizadeh Political director of Iranian American Community of Florida (IAC-FL) Subscribe to RSS It’s Time For The United States To Lead In Condemning A Long-Neglected Crime In Iran The latest session of the United Nations Human Rights Council began this week and, unfortunately, it has been preceded by a very poor decision. The schedule of speakers includes Alireza Avayi. Despite holding the title of Justice Minister in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Avayi is himself an egregious violator of human rights. He has been sanctioned by the European Union for a number of reasons, but undoubtedly the worst incident on his record is his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988.

Blackwell Letter to Haley: U.N. Must Investigate Massacre in Iran—30,000 Dead in 1988 WASHINGTON—Former Ambassador Ken Blackwell sent a letter to current Ambassador Nikki Haley on Friday, urging the top U.S. diplomat at the United Nations to investigate horrific state-sponsored mass murders in Iran in 1988 that were finally confirmed with evidence just discovered last year. In addition to having held several elected offices and been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to other presidentially appointed offices, Blackwell served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission under President George H.W. Bush 25 years ago. He has remained active in the senior ranks of U.S. statesmen in foreign policy over the subsequent quarter-century. In his letter to the current holder of the most prestigious ambassadorship in America’s Diplomatic Corps—the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Security Council, Blackwell wrote to Haley about recently discovered evidence of “the ma...

Investigation of Argentina’s “Dirty War” Set Precedent for Inquiry into Iran’s “Summer of Blood” In the 1990s, I and my distinguished colleague Charlotte Ponticelli had the privilege of working with Dr. Clyde Snow, one of the world’s foremost experts in forensic anthropology, who played an instrumental role in bringing justice to Argentina by uncovering the mass graves left behind by the country’s “Dirty War.” His actions and investigation helped uncover the truth about what was an incredibly deadly series of crimes carried out over nearly a decade. Holding the regime in Argentina accountable set a valuable precedent and demonstrated the global community’s commitment to upholding justice and human rights, which must be maintained today. After Argentine president Isabel Perón was deposed in 1976, a military junta took over the presidency and government, establishing a dictatorship and placing all levels of government under military control. During the regime’s rule between the 1...