UANI Statement: President Biden Must Deny Entry Visa To Raisi

(New York, N.Y.) — United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Chairman Joseph I. Lieberman and UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace released the following joint statement calling upon the Biden administration to deny Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s request for an entry visa to the United States to attend the opening of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September. Raisi, accused of crimes against humanity, reportedly imposed death penalties on thousands of political prisoners prior to taking office. Iran’s government has also been plotting assassinations and kidnappings against U.S. citizens on American soil.  

“The Biden Administration has made repeated assertions that human rights are at the center of U.S. foreign policy. This is a true test of its resolve. The U.S. government should not allow Ebrahim Raisi – a leader guilty of gross human rights violations, terrorist affiliations, and numerous other crimes – the privilege of entering the United States, nor can it justify the U.S. Secret Service protecting at taxpayer expense the president of a country which is plotting assassinations and other attacks against U.S. citizens on American soil. To decide otherwise would undermine the commitments that have been made to the American people.  

"In denying the Iranian request, the Biden Administration would be following precedents set by previous administrations that have denied visas to other Iranian officials. The U.S. denied an entry visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in 2020 and to Iran’s proposed envoy to the U.N. Hamid Aboutalebi in 2014.

“Since 2019, Raisi has been designated for his efforts to advance the ‘regime’s domestic and foreign oppression,’ where it was noted that Raisi is responsible for a number of human rights violations, including the execution of minors and crackdowns on Iranian civilian protestors, as well as the killing of thousands of individuals by means of extrajudicial execution.

“Given these blatantly criminal acts in conjunction with his regime’s continual and unreserved association, funding, and support of terrorist groups, the choice should be simple. Those responsible for crimes against humanity and terror attacks against American citizens should be held accountable no matter their title and have no place setting foot in the United States.”

To read UANI’s resource Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi: President of Iran, please click here.

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