North Charlotte Today

Senator Thom Tillis and a group of bipartisan senators have led a resolution urging the protection of Iranian political refugees in Ashraf-3, located in Albania. The resolution rejects the demands of the Iranian regime and emphasizes the need for the refugees to be granted their fundamental rights.

According to the senators, the Iranian regime has a history of targeting Iranian political refugees, especially those who survived Tehran's repression and were initially based in Camp Ashraf, Iraq. The relocation of these refugees to Albania was initiated in 2012, with the final relocation completed in September 2016. The senators highlighted that over 900 individuals in Ashraf-3, including former political prisoners, have endured torture and are witnesses to human rights abuses in Iran.

The senators expressed concern over the Iranian regime's tactics, including terrorist attacks, blackmail, and cyberattacks, aimed at silencing Iranian opponents abroad and pressuring Albania to undermine its support for the refugees in Ashraf-3. They emphasized the importance of protecting these witnesses for potential testimonies before international courts investigating human rights violations in Iran.

The resolution, co-sponsored by Senators from both sides of the aisle, calls for the safeguarding of the rights of Iranian political refugees in Ashraf-3 and emphasizes the importance of allowing them to freely express themselves and engage in legal political activities in Albania.