Department of state. Thank you for coming to focus on the subject of human rights and iran. I want to recognize some amazing attendees we have over 50 members of the diplomatic corps, thank you very much for coming but we also have so many people from the iranian diaspora as well we will begin todays program with secretary mike pompeo with three cohosts for religious freedom Deputy Director mike bell. During the listening sessions we heard the members of how we can continue to share your story and support your voices and we will dive deeper into the issue and also have an opportunity to hear from survivors who have firsthand experience of the Iranian Regimes oppression. Assistant secretary for human rights and labor previously chaired and served a six term as commissioner on civil rights. With a 15 year interface dialogue. My friend, bob. [applause] good morning, everybody. On behalf of the department of state on human rights and labor , i would like to thank you all this morning for your participation for those that are concerned about reclaiming the broken promises about human rights in iran. Rn for the day for those who wanted to be here with us today would be free to join us in an extended conversation that they backed over two and a half millennia in to the time of cyrus the great in that historic decree that was the precursors of modernday conception. Secretary pompeo has been clear our priority should be stand with the iranian people and their demands for a government that represents their interest and respects their rights. The secretary has been barely into his job with a new iran strategy in may 2018. In july 2018 with members of the diaspora and then including the professor who just came home. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my theilege to introduce secretary of state, mike pompeo. [applause] pompeo thank you. Good morning. Thank you all. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. How are you doing today . Good . Its an important point at the state department and i appreciate you joining us. Bob thank you for the kind , introduction. Im delighted to have you here at the United States department of state. Happy to host our friends from the iranian diaspora. Your success is living proof what the iranian people can do when their full potential is unleased. Of course i want to give welcome to the brave iranians in the audience who have survived persecution thank you for joining me here today. It is humbling and an honor for me to see you all here for love. I love the diversity members of congress and folks from all across the nongovernmental Community Working on important issues related to iran. We have people from all across the Foreign Policy community, so Many Department of state team members. Thank you all for being here. I think the Diverse Group with the size and scale of the audience today tells us a lot about the willingness of the world to join the United States in supporting Iranian Forces and dreams. When we do this, we will uphold the worlds greatest champion of liberty. Since our founding. We are telling the iranian people they have threats across the world and in america for those wrongs that have been done to them. It is those very injustices, the human rights abuses that the regime commits against its own people that brings us all together today and i want to spend a few minutes talking with you about. I have a message for the leaders of the regime. If you expect to get recover your people and the world, if you seek stability and prosperity for your once great nation, you must expect the and respect human rights. This symposium, this gathering cannot come at a more important time. It clearly signaled the iranian people just had enough and were fed up with the economic failures and with the regime that denies them basic fundamental Human Dignity that comes from each of us. It is not one age group or class or gender lifting their voices. , teachers,nts in z young men. One of those young men was an electrical engineer who loved loved singingwho the elvis song i cant help falling in love with you. He was sick of criminal and corrupt iranian leadership and. Last month, he joined his countrymen on the streets of protests. They promised they would hold hands to stay together. But as he watched the videos, there was chaos. When the Security Forces attacked the crowd, they became separated. Then he experienced every parents worst nightmare. She saw fellow protesters holding her sons lifeless body after being shot in the head by the regime. Today, she grieves with so many other parents. So many other amazing people across iran. But she also says, now, i want his ideals are mine. I want to witness and celebrate the people of iran. Today many iranians are angry at. It is a feeling that has been building for a long time. The ayatollah and the band of thugs that planted their rage 40 years ago. They imposed the Islamic Revolution on the openminded entrepreneurial and the amazing iranian people. To this day, the Iranian Regime is desperate to control ideas in and speech and indeed life itself. Just a few examples from the last year. Out flowershanded on the tehran metro on International Womens day in march. They were not wearing the hijacked. They were sentenced 16 to 23 years in prison for moral corruption. Two months later, the iranian government banned religious minorities from working at Childcare Centers with muslim children. The community of journalists reported this past week, a few days ago, there are 11 journalists currently imprisoned. Iran is on a campaign of intimidation against family members of iranian journalists. These handful of examples are but a glimpse. A glimpse into 40 years of disrespect for its people and irans internal iner, weakens its economy the eyes of freedom loving people all across the world. There is a towering hypocrisy. In this mistreatment. So many of these Human Rights Violations defied its own domestic laws. Adopted ago, the regime the constitution that is still in effect. Article nine says no individual group or authority has the right to infringe in the slightest way upon the political and cultural and economic and military dependence or the territorial integrity in iran. But this is precisely what iran has done to them. What enormous hypocrisy. Article 14 of the constitution all the government and muslims are dutybound to treat nonmuslims in conformity with norms. Thic but all legally recognized groups have their freedoms. With christmas just week away i cannot help but think of victor. He is a christian pastor whose home was raided during a Christmas Celebration almost five years ago. He and his wife and son all are out on bail appealing prison sentences. Im glad his daughter is here with us here today. Thank you for being with us. [applause] sec. Pompeo that same document, the constitution says all the people of iran that they and enjoy equal rights. But so many ethnic minorities are treated as second or third class citizens. Article 27 allows public gatherings and marches but when citizens speak up, the regimes hammer comes down. Think of the thousands. You know them. Think of the thousands of iranians executed in prison following protests in 1988 those. Those students that were slaughtered in 1999. We all remember the cries of where is my vote . Those protesters were met with more bloodshed to be served. Its the same story today. The regime has killed hundreds and hundreds of protesters and since midnovember, possibly more than 1000. And the regime cuts off the internet, basic communication tool, to try to stop the world to see the horrors that were taking place inside of their country. I can imagine, but does the regime really think this is path that leads to prosperity and strength . I think not. I think they know differently. I asked the same questions on irans International Obligations and commitments. Iran is the Founding Member of the National Labor organization , but the regime steals money, drains their pensions. This money is taken from the citizens for their use to care of their families and turns it into shell casings in the sand of syria and yemen. Labor organizers are rounded up and tortured. The universal declaration of human rights states no one shall be subject to torture or butst detention or exile, think of the minorities are or nonreligious persons of facing torture and execution for their faith and the basic belief system. Iran is part of the civic and political rights. Ironic to say it. Yet iran permits the use of the Death Penalty for girls starting at age nine and boys at age 13. Two 17yearold boys were secretly executed just this past year. We have seen protesters gunned down at random in the street in the last 30 days. We grieve to see a corrupt government of the people. Unjust rulers. But as difficult as the as i have just recounted, i have only scratched the surface. The iranian people have a steadfast friend. They are good people. And they have spirit. The friend is the north star for those oppressed in their ideals press, writings, faith, ideals. The United States will stand and has stood under President Trump with the iranian people. [applause] sec. Pompeo our public support and moral support is important. Our calls for justice matter. Realll for a nation with accountability. It is unfortunate in 2009 when the opportunity arose and americans did not do that its. It is not political. It is about the best and what we want for the iranian people the. Look. The appeasement of the regime simply will not work. We have done something completely different in this administration. We have asked the iranian people to send evidence of regime brutality. We are bringing to light what the ayatollahs are desperate to keep in the dark. So far, we have received more than 36,000 pieces of information and we are working each and every one of them. We have heard and seen the stories and see their faces of the victims that will not be forgotten and the perpetrators will be pursued. Irans Human Rights Violations are worse than unacceptable they. They are evil and they are wrong. They fundamentally repress the fundamental energy, entrepreneurship, and spirit of one of the worlds great peoples. So today, we call on the Iranian Regime to fulfill the first duty of any government. To treat your people with basic dignity to which every member of the family of mankind is entitled. Uphold your commitments under your own constitution and international law. Act like a normal country. Unleash your peoples vast potential. We see these things and urge these things out of troop potential and also as a message of common sense to the regime. True prosperity will only come to iran when you cease terrorizing your people and jailing them. Indeed i would urge the regime , to follow the words of the persian poet. They lowered who lays waste will only see the prosperity for his domain. Im announcing several new actions in support of the iranian people. First, i have read designated as iran a country of particular concern. The world should know iran is one of the worst violators of basic fundamental religious freedoms. Second, today, the United States department of treasury will sanction two iranian judges. [applause] sec. Pompeo among the heinous sentence a human rights lawyer and a womans rights defender to 33 years in prison and 140 lashes. Sentenced an american citizen for 10 years in prison on false charges of espionage. We are glad we won the release but he should have never been sentenced or jailed in the first place. They have sentenced hundreds of political prisoners. He is the go to guy. He sentenced journalists, human rights activists to prison or to worse, to death. He is a tool of the regimes oppression not an impartial part of justice and now he is not today, he is sanctioned by the United States of america. [applause] sec. Pompeo under the third, immigration act we are current or visas former iranian officials for those responsible were complicit or complicit in the abuse in detention or killing of Peaceful Protesters or for inhibiting the rights of freedom of expression or assembly also for family members for the material provided by citizens all across iran will be a valuable in us using this new authority to put true pressure and hold accountable those who are denying freedom and justice to the people of iran. [applause] sec. Pompeo killing peoples children will not be allowed to send their own children to study in the United States of america. [cheers and applause] sec. Pompeo these are serious and thoughtful measures that took us a little bit of time but to get to the right place, but i want the people of iran to know it does not have to be this way. If the regime respects the rights of the iranians, abides by its commitments, it can shed the black label of being outlawed regime in the eyes of the world and very importantly can enjoy sustained prosperity and peace for its people. The people are demanding it. The past two prosperity for each to prosperity begins at home fo for each country beginst home. [applause] sec. Pompeo the people will be happier. Basic freedoms will be respected. Partnerships will be respected. Just think of what could happen between our two countries. The president talks of this often. One day, the locks on the doors of the Iranian Embassy in washington could be cut off. Air could fly direct to los angeles or houston. Everyone should suffer lax. [laughter] sec. Pompeo one day, our leaders could receive one another in goodwill and not as adversaries. What a moment that would be so i when we could reach those times. I pray and i hope this day comes soon. We along with you all are working to make this happen and i hope the regime to permit this will soon see its path clear to permitting this to happen. I tell theer what, iranian people what i have said before for many months and will continue to say so long as it is required to be said. America hears you. America supports you. America stands with you. We do so for your sake, for the sake of freedom, for the sake of basic Human Dignity, for the sake of respect. Thank you all for being here today. May god bless the people of iran. And may god bless the people of the United States of america. [applause] on monday, 2020 democratic president ial candidate andrew yang holds a town hall at the Public Library in nashua, new hampshire. Watch live at 2 00 eastern on cspan, online at cspan. Org, or listen live on the free cspan radio app. In dubai, you compare it to being on the jetsons. It i. It is not there yet, but that is the vision. To have flying ships early in this decade, and not a few of them carrying around rich people to golf courses and luxury hotels. They want to have the flying airships carrying all kinds of people, and a flying network like a metro system with little stops all over dubai. Flying machines carrying people backandforth. s latest book looks at how technology is changing transportation. Mondaythe communicators night at 8 00 eastern on cspan two. The house will be in order. For 40 years, cspan has been providing america unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and Public Policy events from washington, d. C. , and around the country, so you can make up your own mind. Created by cable in 1979, cspan is brought to you by your local cable or satellite provider. Cspan, your unfiltered view of government. Coming up today on cspan, discussing life on the border in todays political climate. After that, the National Review discusses news of the day and his book, the case for nationalism. Then we will bring you live coverage of joe bidens town hall in new hampshire