Hagedorn Introduces Resolution Recognizing "Bloody November" and Condemning Iran Regime

Statement

Today, Congressman Jim Hagedorn (MN-01) introduced a resolution recognizing the two-year anniversary of the November 2019 massacre in Iran known as "Bloody November," condemning the Iranian regime for murdering their own civilians and calling on the Biden Administration to update its report that lowered the death toll from this attack.

On November 15, 2019, Iranian citizens began protesting the government-mandated increase of fuel prices. As civilians took to the streets to peacefully protest the rise in fuel prices, many chanted in support of the Pahlavi Dynasty Legacy and the pro-Western and pro-Democracy ideals that inspired their call to action. Two days later, the protests reached the capital city of Tehran calling for the end of the regime and Supreme Leader Khamenei, who ordered security forces to do "whatever it takes" to end these protests -- including the shooting of unarmed protesters.

The Trump Administration released a report citing a Reuters article that as many as 1,500 civilians were killed by Iranian state security forces. However, in March 2021, the Biden Administration released a revised report that cited Amnesty International's death toll as only 304.

Congressman Hagedorn is joined by 36 members of the House of Representatives in lending support to the measure. Upon introduction, Hagedorn released the following statement:

"Today marks the two-year anniversary of the beginning of the Bloody November massacre that resulted in the Iranian regime murdering over a thousand Iranian men, women, and children in response to nationwide protests against the sudden rise in fuel prices and ending the country's corrupt regime to pursue pro-Western ideals similar to the Shah.

"President Trump's State Department released a report that confirmed 1,500 civilians were killed, yet the Biden Administration chose to minimize the severity of this attack by revising the initial report with a lower death toll. This false narrative being pushed by the Biden Administration is a slap in the face to all those who were killed that day as well as their families. We are urging this administration to revise its report to accurately reflect the lives that were lost in this deadly massacre.

"We remember Bloody November and condemn the Iranian regime and Supreme Leader Khamenei for crimes against humanity. We stand with the Iranian people as they yearn for human rights, free elections and a prosperous and peaceful Middle East," said Congressman Hagedorn.

"The Iranian Americans for Liberty applaud Rep. Hagedorn for his leadership on this important issue to the Iranian American community. The Congressman's resolution, supported by many of his House colleagues, sends a clear message to the government in Tehran that U.S lawmakers will not remain silent as the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to violate the basic human rights of their citizens on a weekly basis. We call on President Biden to immediately revise their March 2021 report and to stop engaging in diplomacy with the world's leading sponsor of terrorism," said Bryan E. Leib, Executive Director of Iranian Americans for Liberty.

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