White House Misses MAHSA Act Reporting Deadline
Washington, DC — The Executive Branch missed the 90-day MAHSA Act reporting deadline through which to impose potential sanctions on Iranian officials for their roles in human rights violations. President Biden signed the MAHSA Act into law on April 24th as part of a larger foreign aid package, meaning this past Wednesday, July 23rd, was the deadline for the Administration to submit the required sanctions report.
The MAHSA Act requires the Executive Branch to determine sanctions against the Supreme Leader of Iran, the President of Iran, their entities and offices, and their inner circle “no later than 90 days after the date of [its] enactment” and then annually thereafter. It also requires the imposition of visa and property bans.
According to the parameters of the legislation, the President should have submitted a report to the appropriate congressional committees outlining whether each of the people described within the bill meet the criteria for sanctions under the existing authorities and explaining whether applicable sanctions would be imposed within the next 30 days or why they are being waived. The Administration’s failure to do so stands in the way of holding the Iranian regime accountable.
After the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iranian state custody, the bipartisan Mahsa Amini Human rights and Security Act (MAHSA Act) was introduced by Congressman Jim Banks in the House and later in the Senate by Senators Marco Rubio and Alex Padilla. Arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly, Mahsa Amini soon became a symbol for justice and gender equality. Her passing marked the beginning of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement as hundreds of thousands of protesters across Iran continue to stand up against the regime’s human rights violations.
PAAIA has been an ardent supporter of the MAHSA Act since its inception, helping to secure dozens of the bill’s 142 cosponsors and encouraging congressional leadership to bring the legislation to a vote. Implementing the MAHSA Act in a timely manner is crucial to addressing the ongoing human rights abuses committed by the Islamic Republic. PAAIA strongly urges the Biden Administration to fulfill its obligations under the MAHSA Act and hold Iranian officials accountable for their egregious injustices.
