VIDEO – Sen. Johnny Isakson: Urges Administration to Deny U.S. Visa to Iranian Hostage Taker

Your Washington Desk:

Isakson, 28 Senators Urge Administration to Deny U.S. Visa to Iranian Hostage Taker

Condemns Iran’s choice for ambassador to the United Nations; calls on colleagues to pass legislation to compensate hostages held captive in Iran

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., sent a letter along with 28 of his Senate colleagues to President Obama this week requesting the denial of a U.S. visa to Hamid Abutalebi, Iran’s choice to be its Ambassador to the United Nations. By his own admission, Abutalebi was part of the group that took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.”

“The United States should not be granting entry to an individual who publicly admitted to participating in an act of terror against the United States and its citizens,” the Senators wrote. “We respectfully request that Hamid Abutalebi promptly be denied a U.S. visa and that you instruct Ambassador Power to work closely with the U.N. Secretary General to ensure that he is never accepted as a representative to the United Nations.”

In light of the news of Iran’s decision to name one of the demonstrators who took over the U.S. Embassy in 1979 its ambassador to the United Nations, Sen. Isakson also took to the Senate floor Wednesday to condemn the government of the nation of Iran and bring light to the fact that those Americans held hostage have never received meaningful compensation for what they went through. Three of the former hostages live in Isakson’s home state of Georgia.”

Isakson also called on the Senate to pass his legislation, the Justice for Former American Hostages in Iran Act of 2013, to properly compensate the 52 victims of the Iran hostage crisis for the 444 days they were held captive.”

“It is an insult to everything the United Nations stands for, to the integrity of the people of the United States of America and the memory of those who passed and those who live who were held hostage,” Isakson stated on the Senate floor. “We should demand this appointment be withdrawn by the Iranian government. We should demand an apology on behalf of Iranian government to the people of the United States of America. And we should demand they voluntarily compensate those hostages.”

“They’re not going to do that and I know that,” Isakson continued, “which is why we introduced legislation which I principally sponsored to compensate the 52 hostages held in captivity in 1979 until 1981.”

The joint letter sent by Isakson and his Senate colleagues to President Obama requesting the denial of a pending U.S. visa application can be found online here.

“America was insulted earlier last month by the Iranian people. The government of the nation of Iran has appointed a new ambassador to the United Nations. That new ambassador’s name is Hamid Aboutabeli. He captured 52 Americans and held them for 444 days, a man who claims he was an innocent bystander and didn’t have much to do with that tragedy.”

“If you were alive at that time and watched “Nightline” shows night after night to watch the beatings, torture and terror and capture of the American people, you understand full well nobody could have been within sight of that embassy and not claim to be a part of it.”

“My state has been touched. Almost every state in the union has been touched. Those hostages were held right up until the time Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president and were finally released at the last minute when the United States government waived their right to compensation against the nation of Iran. The nation that held 52 of our diplomats hostage for 444 days, signed an agreement never to have to pay any reparation to those people, is now appointing to the United Nations, the world forum, an ambassador who was on the site in Tehran when those people were taken captive is an insult to America.”

“First and foremost, the government of Iran should apologize. Second the government of Iran should compensate all those hostages. Mr. President, 52 hostages were held, 25 percent of them have passed away. One took their own life as a consequence of the injuries they suffered.”

“One of my constituents from my state, Col. Chuck Scott out of Jonesboro, Georgia, was on television just two nights ago about the tragedy in Tehran. His teeth were knocked out with a two-by-four in his captivity and he’s going back for another surgery in another week to try to remedy some of the pain he still harbors from that tragedy that took place 34 years ago.”

“It is an insult to everything the United Nations stands for, to the integrity of the people of the United States of America and the memory of those who passed and those who live who were held hostage. We should demand this appointment be withdrawn by the Iranian government. We should demand an apology on behalf of Iranian government to the people of the United States of America. And we should demand they voluntarily compensate those hostages.”

“They’re not going to do that and I know that, which is why we introduced legislation which I principally sponsored three years ago to compensate the 52 hostages held in captivity in 1979 until 1981.

“It is a shame beyond belief that 52 Americans who were held hostage are the only Americans in the same circumstance who have not been compensated for the damages perpetrated upon them. I hope a vehicle comes to the floor of the Senate where we can attach this legislation.

“Senator Kerry, while he was chairman of the committee, and now Senator Menendez, who is the chairman, and Ranking Member Corker, have all embraced our concept of seeing to it that we fight to see that recompense is finally made to those hostages captured in 1979 to 1981.

“We have a great compassionate country and we owe it to them and their families every effort to see to it the nation of Iran compensates them and they are paid back for the terrible tragedy.

“First and foremost, Iran needs to know that this United States senator, and I think every United States senator, realizes the affront to the American people and the insult to the United Nations that Iran is perpetrating by making this appointment as ambassador of their country today.”

Background on Isakson’s Iran hostage legislation:

Isakson believes the 52 Americans who were held hostage for 444 days when Iranian radicals seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, in 1979 deserve more than the small compensation they received upon their release more than 30 years ago. Many of the hostages were terrorized and subjected to torture while held captive. In 1981, the hostages were freed by the Algiers Accords—an agreement between the United States and Iran that settled the crisis—barring hostages from seeking damages for their imprisonment.

A group of 45 former hostages have sought to collect damages in court challenges over the years, but their efforts have been halted by the Algiers Accords, which was the deal brokered between the United States and Iran to release the hostages and prohibits the hostages from suing Iran. Isakson’s legislation provides an alternative avenue for the victims to collect compensation without violating the Algiers Accords. Three of the former hostages live in Isakson’s home state of Georgia.

Currently, the Department of Treasury enforces U.S. sanctions on Iran. Isakson’s legislation would direct the secretary of the Treasury to establish a fund that would be used to pay the claims to the hostages. The fund would be financed from a surcharge added to fines and penalties assessed on any business or person that does business with Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Isakson’s bill would allow hostages or their family members to collect damages amounting to about $4.4 million each, or $10,000 for each day they were held captive. Five years after their release from Iran after being held for 444 days, the hostages received approximately $22,000 each, or $50 for each day held captive, from the U.S. government.