Good morning everyone. The spokesperson for the department of state thank you for coming to focus on the subject of human rights and iran. Those 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 Regime sonata 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. [applause] good morning everybody. On behalf of department of state on human rights and labor and thank you for your participation for those that are concerned about reclaiming the broken promises i also urine for the day for those who wanted to be here with us today would be free to join us over two and a half millennia in that historic degrees that were the precursors of modernday conception. Secretary pompeo has been clear our priority should be stand with the iranian people and the demands for a government that represents their interest in their rights. The secretary has been barely into his job with a new iran strategy with iranian voices july 2018 with members of the diaspora and then including the professor who just came home. With the secretary of state mike pompeo. [applause] thank you. Its an important point at the state department thank you for the kind introduction im delighted to have you here at the United States department of state man 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 unleashed of course i want to give welcome to the audience who have survived persecution thank you for joining me here today. Its an honor for me to see you all here for love the diversity members of congress and folks from all across the Ngo Community with the policy committee and the team members with the size and scale of the audience today of the willingness of the world to join Iranian Forces when we do this in with the worlds greatest champion of liberty. And telling the iranian people they have weapons across the world and in america for those wrongs that have been done to them. And with the regime against his own people to bring us all together today i want to spend a few minutes talking about. I have a message for the leaders of the regime if you expect to get recover from your people feeding stability and prosperity you must expect the commitments that you make and respect human rights this symposium, this gathering cannot come at a more important time to clearly signal the iranian people just had enough and were fed up with the economic failures and with the regime that denies the basic dignity that comes from each of us. Is not one age group or class or gender or lifting or voices and younger men and one of those young men was an electrical engineer who loved singing elvis i cant help falling in love with you. He was sick of criminal and corrupt iranian leadership and then there is chaos and then they became separated and then experienced every last nightmare he was shot in the head and protesters were holding her sons lifeless body today grieving with so many other parents. But she also says i want to witness and celebrate the people of iran. Many iranians are angry at the feeling the ayatollah and the band of thugs and that openminded entrepreneurial and then the Iranian Regime is desperate to control ideas in speech and life itself. Just a few examples from the last year. And women handing out flowers on International Womens day in march they wear the hijab they will be 16 through 23 years in prison for moral corruption and then two months later the iranian government banned religious minorities from working at Childcare Centers with muslim children. And those that are currently imprisoned. And to go against elderly family members who iranian journalists. And with that 40 years of disrespect for its people and destabilize that order and it weakens the economy in the eyes of freedom loving people all across the eyes of the world. And there is a towering hypocrisy. So many of these Human Rights Violations 40 years ago this month the regime adopted that is still in effect article nine says no individual group or authority has the right in the slightest way with those military dependents or the territorial integrity this is precisely what iran has done to them are dutybound all legally recognized trade groups for their freedoms with christmas just week away i cannot help but think of victor. A christian pastor whose home was raided during a Christmas Celebration almost five years ago all are out on bail appealing prison sentences. s daughter is here with us today thank you for being with us. [applause] [applause] all the people of iran that they and with the ethnic minorities the second or third class citizens. Article 27 allows public gatherings and marches but when citizens speak up the hammer comes down. Thousands of iranians executed in prison following protest in 1988 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 the regime cuts off the internet and to see the horrors that were taking place in the country. Does the regime really think this is path that leads to prosperity and strength cracks they know differently with the International Obligations and commitments the Founding Member of the National Labor organization it is taken from the citizens for their use to take care of their families to turn into shell casings in the sand in yemen. Labor organizers are rounded up in prisons and tortured. The universal declaration of human rights states no one should be subject to torture or exile for but think of the minorities are nonreligious persons of execution for their faith and the basic belief system. On the man permits the use of the Death Penalty for girl starting at age nine and boys at age 13 to 17 boys were secretly executed just this past year. We see protesters gun down at random in the street in the last 30 days. We grieve to see the iranian nation go further into a bed of poverty because of their rulers but as difficult as the situation is that i have just recounted and i have only scratched the surface the iranian people have a steadfast friend they are good people and have spirit the friend is the north star for those oppressed in their ideals the United States will stand and has stood with President Trump with the iranian people. [applause] with the public support the calls for justice matter calls for normal nation with the real economy with accountability it is unfortunate in 2009 when the opportunity arose and americans did not do that its not political but the best and what we want for the iranian people the appeasement of the regime simply will not work we have done something completely different asking the iranian people to send evidence of regime brutality we are bringing to light what they are keeping in the dark so far we have c receive more than 36000 pieces of information and we are working each and every one 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 are evil and they are wrong because they fundamentally repress the entrepreneurship and spirit of one of the worlds great peoples so today we call on the Iranian Regime 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 act like a normal country release your people back to their potential we urge this out of true principle but also as a message of common sense to the regime true prosperity will only come to iran when you cease terrorizing your people and i would urge the regime to follow the words of the persian poet award who lays waste will only see the prosperity for his domain and 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 one of the worst violators of basic fundamental religious freedoms today the treasury will sanction to iranians. [applause] one a human rights lawyer and 140 lashes one was an american citizen for ten years in prison on false charges we are glad we won she relates awaits release but never shouldve been jailed in the first place so sending hundreds of Political Prisoners journalists human rights activists to prison or to death he is a tool of the regimes oppression not an impartial part of justice and now he is not sanctioned by the United States of america. [applause] so third under the immigration act we are restricting pieces from current or former iranian officials for those responsible were complicit in the abuse in detention or killing of Peaceful Protesters or for inhibiting the rights of for 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] killing peoples children will not be allowed to send their own children to study in the United States of america. [cheers and applause] these are serious and thoughtful measures that took a little bit of time but if the regime to abide by its commitment in the eyes of the world and very importantly that the people are demanding it for each country and the leaders of sovereign nations than the collective future will be brighter. [applause] and her people will be happier so just think of what we could happen between the two countries one day the locks could be cut off of the embassy were to go to houston or los angeles everybody should suffer lax. [laughter] one day our leaders could receive one another and goodwill and not as adversaries. What a moment that would be so i pray and i hope this day comes soon we are working to make this happen and i hope the regime to permit this to happen. And i tell you what i have said for many months america hears you, america supports you come america stands with you. [inaudible conversa] is not a crime against society in the federalist paper number 65. I recommend it to you both. But it is a breach of the family trust. It is a scandal. On the electric grid lawmakers are looking at wildfire Mitigation TechnologyForest Management and power system reliability. Reliability. The committeel