AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: September 12, 2023
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Cynthia Owens, Policy and Management Analyst
Subject: RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY
HILLS RECOGNIZING THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE
PHYSICAL BEATING AND DEATH OF MAHSA (JINA) AMINI BY
IRAN’S MORALITY POLICE AND CONDEMNING THE
GOVERNMENT OF IRAN
Attachments: 1. Proposed Resolution
2. October 11, 2022 Study Session Report (without Attachment)
3. Resolution 22-R-13425
RECOMMENDATION
Councilmember Mirisch and Councilmember Nazarian recommend the City Council adopt a resolution of the Council of the City of Beverly Hills recognizing the one-year anniversary of the physical beating and death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini by Iran’s morality police (Attachment 1).
INTRODUCTION
At the request of Councilmember Mirisch and Councilmember Nazarian, the proposed resolution for adoption by the City Council recognizes the one-year anniversary of the physical beating and death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini. The resolution also recognizes the deaths of Sarina Esmaeilzadeh, Nika Shakarami, and the more than 500 Iranians have been killed on the streets of Iran, the tens of thousands Iranians who have been sent to jail, and the dozens more awaiting potential execution for demonstrating in the streets of Iran.
DISCUSSION
At the October 11, 2022 City Council Study Session, staff provided an overview of a proposed resolution to condemn the government of Iran for the physical beating and death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini by Iran’s morality police (Attachments 2 and 3).
For the September 12, 2023 City Council meeting, Councilmember Mirisch and Councilmember Nazarian are requesting the City Council adopt a resolution recognizing Meeting Date: September 12, 2023
the one-year anniversary of the physical beating and arrest of Mahsa (Jina) Amini by Iran’s morality police.
Additionally, the resolution:
· Recognizes the deaths of Sarina Esmaeilzadeh, Nika Shakarami, and the more than 500 Iranians who have been killed on the streets of Iran, the tens of thousands Iranians who have been sent to jail, and the dozens more awaiting potential execution for demonstrating in the streets of Iran. · Reiterates the City Council’s strong condemnation of the Iranian regime; · Supports economic sanctions against the Iranian Government and Iran’s morality police;
· Urges the Iranian government to implement meaningful laws ensuring basic human rights for all its citizens;
· States the City is still gravely concerned regarding the nuclear capability of the government of Iran; and
· Demands the United States Government cease all involvement in prisoner exchanges with Iran.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no anticipated fiscal impact at this time.
Keith Sterling
Deputy City Manager
Approved By
Attachment 1
B0785-0001\2861749v2.doc
RESOLUTION NO. 23-R-_________
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
RECOGNIZING THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHYSICAL
BEATING AND DEATH OF MAHSA (JINA) AMINI BY IRAN’S
MORALITY POLICE AND CONDEMNING THE GOVERNMENT OF
IRAN
WHEREAS, on September 13, 2022, Iran’s morality police arrested and accused Mahsa (Jina) Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, of breaking a law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf, and their arms and legs with loose clothing; and WHEREAS, Mahsa (Jina) Amini was reportedly beaten after her arrest on September 13, 2022 by Iran’s morality police and transferred to the Vozara Detention Center in Tehran; and WHEREAS, on September 16, 2022, Mahsa (Jina) Amini died in a hospital after spending three days in a coma; and
WHEREAS, the announcement of the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini reignited a revolutionary movement in Iran with thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets in many cities, including Tehran, Ilam, Isfahan, Mahabad, Saqez, Sari, and Tabriz, to demand accountability for Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s death and an end to violence and discrimination against women and girls in Iran; and
WHEREAS, Iranian women are burning hijabs and have cut their hair to protest the lack of women’s rights in their country; and
WHEREAS, the citizens of Iran have demonstrated numerous times over many years due to Iran’s ailing economy and lack of basic human rights; and WHEREAS, on September 19, 2022, the government of Iran began to curb online access and shut down the Internet so information about the protests would be limited; and
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WHEREAS, on September 21, 2022, the government of Iran blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp, two of the remaining active social media networks in Iran; and WHEREAS, on September 22, 2022, Sarina Esmaeilzadeh, a 16-year-old, went to join protests sweeping the country and was reportedly beaten to death by Iranian security forces; and WHEREAS, the death of Sarina Esmaeilzadeh is all too similar to that of the September 2022 death of 16-year-old Nika Shakarami, who was also reportedly killed during protests by Iranian security forces after burning a hijab; and
WHEREAS, Mahsa (Jina) Amini, Sarina Esmaeilzadeh, and Nika Shakarami are only three examples of the thousands of women who have been abused, gone missing, or murdered at the hands of Iran’s morality police; and
WHEREAS, since the deaths of Mahsa (Jina) Amini, Sarina Esmaeilzadeh, and Nika Shakarami, more than 500 Iranians have been killed on the streets of Iran, tens of thousands have been sent to jail, and dozens more await potential execution for demonstrating in the streets of Iran; and
WHEREAS, on September 22, 2022, the United States Department of State sanctioned Iran’s morality police and seven Iranian officials for alleged human rights abuses; WHEREAS, from September 29, 2022 to October 2, 2022, the City of Beverly Hills illuminated City Hall with the message “Justice for Mahsa Amini” to honor Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s life and legacy; and
WHEREAS, on October 11, 2022, the City Council of the City of Beverly Hills adopted Resolution No. 22-R-13425, which:
(1) Condemned the Iranian morality police for the evil, cruel, and barbaric acts that lead to the deaths of Mahsa (Jina) Amini, Sarina Esmaeilzadeh, and Nika Shakarami and further
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condemned the regime for its brutality, anti-democratic oppression of its citizens and documented human rights violations, especially against women, students, and minorities; (2) Called upon the government of the United States, including the President, Secretary of State, and Members of Congress to engage in all efforts to increase sanctions against the regime in Iran and cease current and future negotiations with the regime in Iran, including negotiations related to oil exports, and to not release any assets frozen in the United States, until there is a regime change;
(3) Supported the sanctions of the United States Department of State issued for Iran’s morality police and the following seven individuals for alleged human rights abuses:
· Haj Ahmad Mirzaei, senior official in Iran’s morality police · Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, senior officials in Iran’s morality police · Ismail Khatib, Iran's minister of intelligence
· Manouchehr Amanollahi, Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (“LEF”) Commander of the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province
· Qasem Rezaei, Deputy Commander of the LEF
· Kiyumars Heidari, Commander of the Iran army's ground forces · Salar Abnoush, Deputy Commander of the Basij, a paramilitary militia and a subsidiary force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (4) Demanded the United States Government consider additional enhanced sanctions which focus solely on the financial assets of the members of the government of Iran and those individuals involved in the regime to the greatest extent possible while still allowing critical economic and medical aid to reach the citizens of Iran; and cease any and all types of sponsorship of terrorist organizations, including but not limited to Hamas and Hezbollah; (5) Stated the City of Beverly Hills is gravely concerned with the nuclear capability of the government of Iran and the potential fallout to the region and the world; therefore, the City of Beverly Hills implored the United States, and the nations around the world, to strongly advocate for Iran to cease further development of nuclear power plants and weapons; (6) Called for an impartial investigation of the events leading to the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini and that those found liable for her death be brought to justice;
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B0785-0001\2861749v2.doc
(7) Urged the Iranian Government to implement meaningful laws ensuring basic human rights for all its citizen in order to honor the life and legacy of Mahsa (Jina) Amini; (8) Stated the City of Beverly Hills strongly supports the right of all women to live a life without repression, brutal violence and restrictions on their basic human rights; (9) Called upon the United Nations to expel Iran from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women; and
(10) Implored the United Nations, countries, and other cities to adopt resolutions with similarly strong messaging related to sanctions against Iran’s morality police and condemning the Iranian morality police for the evil, cruel, and barbaric acts and further condemning the regime for its brutality, anti-democratic oppression of its citizens and documented human rights violations, especially against women, students, and minorities;
WHEREAS, on December 14, 2022, the United Nations member states voted to oust Iran from the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women, the foremost intergovernmental body tasked with protecting women’s rights and promoting gender equality; WHEREAS, in July 2023, Iran’s Morality Police unexpectedly reappeared on the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities after being discreetly withdrawn after the death of a young woman, Mahsa (Jina) Amini, while in police custody in September 2023, which led to weeks of widespread anti-regime protests and demonstrations and a savage crackdown by security forces; and
WHEREAS, Iranians across the country and around the world are more united than ever as they seek to honor the memory of Mahsa (Jina) Amini by finally freeing Iran from the Islamic Republic; and
WHEREAS, the movement in Iran is revolutionary, seeking not just an expansion of women’s rights but also a full-scale political change in Iran and the establishment of a secular democracy; and
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WHEREAS, the regime in Iran remains unchanged since September 2022.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Beverly Hills resolves as follows:
Section 1. The City of Beverly Hills recognizes the one-year anniversary of the physical beating and death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini by Iran’s morality police.
Section 2. The City of Beverly Hills strongly condemns the government of Iran for the actions of Iran’s Morality Police who terrorized and physically beat to death Mahsa (Jina) Amini, Sarina Esmaeilzadeh, Nika Shakarami, and other Iranians.
Section 3. The City of Beverly Hills strongly condemns the Iranian regime for its brutality, anti-democratic oppression of its citizens and documented human rights violations, especially against women, students, and minorities.
Section 4. The City of Beverly Hills remains gravely concerned with the nuclear capability of the government of Iran and the potential fallout to the region and the world; therefore, the City of Beverly Hills implores the United States, and the nations around the world, to strongly advocate for Iran to cease further development of nuclear power plants and weapons.
Section 5. The City of Beverly Hills demands the United States Government continue to sanction Iran while focusing solely on the financial assets of the members of the government of Iran and those individuals involved in the regime to the greatest extent possible while still allowing critical economic aid to reach the citizens of Iran.
Section 6. The City of Beverly Hills calls upon the United States Government to cease its involvement in prisoner exchanges with Iran.
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Section 7. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause this resolution and her certification to be entered in the Book of Resolution of the Council of this City.
Adopted:
_______________________
JULIAN A. GOLD, M.D.
Mayor of the City of
Beverly Hills, California
ATTEST:
_______________________ (SEAL)
HUMA AHMED
City Clerk
APPROVED AS FORM: APPROVED AS CONTENT:
_______________________ _______________________
LAURENCE S. WIENER NANCY HUNT-COFFEY
City Attorney City Manager
Certificate Of Completion
Envelope Id: FC2D8FBC97DF41F492646C05EE0E8B36 Status: Sent Subject: Resolution_Mahsa Amini - FINAL - Complete with DocuSign Source Envelope:
Document Pages: 6 Signatures: 1 Envelope Originator:
Certificate Pages: 2 Initials: 0 Cindy Owens
AutoNav: Enabled
EnvelopeId Stamping: Enabled
Time Zone: (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
455 N. Rexford Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
[email protected]
IP Address: 198.245.189.166
Record Tracking
Status: Original
9/7/2023 5:34:07 PM
Holder: Cindy Owens
[email protected]
Location: DocuSign
Signer Events Signature Timestamp
Stephanie Cao for Laurence Wiener
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Signed: 9/7/2023 6:19:43 PM
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Cynthia L Owens
[email protected]
Policy & Management Analyst
City of Beverly Hills
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Nancy Hunt-Coffey
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Julian A. Gold, M.D.
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Huma Ahmed
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Keith Sterling
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Megan Grilley
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Attachment 2
Study Session Report, October 11, 2022, Without Attachment
STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: October 11, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Laurence Wiener, City Attorney
Cynthia Owens, Policy & Management Analyst
Subject: Resolution of the Council of the City of Beverly Hills Condemning the Government of Iran of the Physical Beating and Death of Mahsa Amini by Iran’s Morality Police
Attachment: 1. Proposed Resolution
INTRODUCTION
The proposed resolution condemns the government of Iran for the actions of its morality police in the physical beating and death of Mahsa Amini; calls for an impartial investigation into her death and to bring those liable to justice; supports sanctions against the Iranian Government and Iran’s morality police; and urges the government of Iran to implement meaningful laws ensuring basic human rights for all its citizen.
DISCUSSION
On September 13, 2022, Mahsa Amini, a 22 year-old Kurdish woman from the northwestern city of Saqez, was arrested in Tehran by Iran’s morality police who accused her of breaking Iran’s strict law requiring women to fully cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf and their arms and legs with loose clothing. She was reportedly beaten after her arrest by Iran’s morality police and transferred to the Vozara Detention Center in Tehran.
On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini died in a hospital after spending three days in a coma. Since the announcement of Mahsa Amini’s death, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in many cities, including Tehran, Ilam, Isfahan, Mahabad, Saqez, Sari, and Tabriz, to demand accountability for her death and calling for an end to violence and discrimination against women and girls in Iran. As part of the demonstrations, women across Iran are burning their hijabs and cutting their hair to protest the lack of women’s rights in their country.
Due to the demonstrations receiving international attention, on September 19, 2022, the government of Iran began to curb online access and shut down the internet so information about the protests would be limited. On September 21, 2022, the Iranian government blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp, two of the remaining active social media networks in Iran.
On September 22, 2022, the United States Department of State sanctioned Iran's morality police and seven officials for alleged human rights abuses in Iran. The seven individuals include:
· Haj Ahmad Mirzaei, senior official in Iran’s morality police · Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, senior officials in Iran’s morality police · Ismail Khatib, Iran's minister of intelligence
· Manouchehr Amanollahi, Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (“LEF”) Commander of the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province
· Qasem Rezaei, Deputy Commander of the LEF
· Kiyumars Heidari, Commander of the Iran army's ground forces · Salar Abnoush, Deputy Commander of the Basij, a paramilitary militia and a subsidiary force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps At the September 20, 2022 City Council meeting, Mayor Bosse opened the meeting with comments regarding Mahsa Amini’s death, which was then followed with a moment of silence. All of the City Councilmembers then expressed united outrage over this criminal act, with a call for a resolution to condemn the actions of Iran’s morality police. This report is presenting a resolution to the City Council for their consideration.
This resolution, if passed by the City Council, states:
The City of Beverly Hills strongly condemns the Iranian morality police for the evil, cruel, and barbaric acts that lead to the death of Mahsa Amini and further condemns the regime for its brutality, anti-democratic oppression of its citizens and documented human rights violations, especially against women, students, and minorities.
The resolution further calls for:
· The United States to not negotiate with the regime in Iran and to not release any assets frozen in the United States;
· The City to support the sanctions of the United States Department of State issued for Iran’s morality police Iran’s morality police and the seven officials listed above;
· The United States to consider further enhanced sanctions against Iran and those individuals involved in the regime while still allowing critical economic and medical aid to reach the citizens of Iran;
· The United States and nations around the world to strongly advocate for Iran to cease further developing nuclear power plants and weapons due to the City’s concern for the region;
· An impartial investigation into the events leading to the death of Mahsa Amini and for those found liable for her death to be brought to justice; and · The Iranian Government to implement meaningful laws ensuring basic human rights for all its citizen as a tribute to Mahsa Amini.
The resolution closes with the City voicing its strong support for the right of all women to live a life without repression, brutal violence and restrictions on their basic human rights.
Finally, to honor Mahsa Amini’s life and legacy, City Hall was illuminated with the message “Justice for Mahsa Amini” from September 27, 2022 to October 2, 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no anticipated fiscal impact at this time.
RECOMMENDATION
The City Council may provide any changes, modifications, or directions they wish on this item.
George Chavez
City Manager
Approved By
Attachment 3