US Congressman criticises Human Rights Watch for Iran group report

Iran Focus: Washington, DC, May 27 – A recent report by New York-based Human Rights watch on Iran’s main opposition group has drawn the ire of United States Congressman Ed Towns, (D-NY).
In a 28-page paper HRW accused the People’s Mojahedin (MEK) of torturing its “dissident members” who criticised or sought to leave the organisation. Iran Focus

Washington, DC, May 27 – A recent report by New York-based Human Rights watch on Iran’s main opposition group has drawn the ire of United States Congressman Ed Towns, (D-NY).

In a 28-page paper HRW accused the People’s Mojahedin (MEK) of torturing its “dissident members” who criticised or sought to leave the organisation.

“It is an outrage to see the Iranian regime is using an American NGP, Human Rights Watch, to politically attack and tarnish the reputation of its main opponent the Iranian Mujahedin (MEK)”, Congressman Towns said in a letter addressed to the rights group’s director.

“For the Human Rights to build a case against MEK, solely based on 12 individuals’ phone testimony without any means of verifying their identity, is shameful to say the least”, he added.

The twelve-term Democrat from New York said, “Human Rights Watch should view the MEK as its partner in defense of human rights in Iran not perpetrators. I firmly believe HRW report on MEK published on May 18th will only advance Tehran’s agenda to derail the fight for democracy and human rights in Iran, calling on the group “to retract the report and provide a more factual account of rights violations in Iran”.

The congressman went on to say, “The Iranian Mujahedin, MEK, has been on the forefront in exposing the regime’s human rights violations and atrocities for the past two decades. In fact, 90% of thousands who have been executed, tortured and imprisoned by the regime have been members and supporters of the MEK”.

Over the past week over a hundred lawmakers and prominent legal experts from North America, Europe, and the Middle East have raised serious concerns on the decision by HRW to publish what they have called a “political paper betraying human rights”.