A US congresswoman of Iranian descent has introduced legislation named after an Iranian Christian covert to block expedited deportations to countries where they may face persecution.
The 'Artemis Act' unveiled on Tuesday honors Artemis Ghasemzadeh, a 27-year-old asylum seeker who was expelled to Panama by the Trump administration after entering the US via its southern border.
She was denied a legally mandated interview and placed on a military flight without notice, her attorney said.
“Artemis Ghasemzadeh was denied the due process afforded to asylum seekers by law, plain and simple,” Arizona Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari. “Returning to the Islamic Republic of Iran would mean immediate—potentially deadly—danger for her, both as a woman and a Christian convert.”
“People like Artemis who are fleeing religious persecution should not be subject to expedited removal. They deserve a chance to plead their case–that's what my bill will guarantee,” she wrote on X.
Ghasemzadeh fled Iran after members of her underground bible study group were arrested. She told Iran International she was misled about her transfer, held in a jungle detention camp in Panama, and forced to subsist on contaminated water and stale bread.
“The food just helps us stay full and not die,” she said at the time, using a shared phone before being cut off.
The proposed Artemis Act would prohibit deportations to any country listed by the US government as committing “particularly severe violations of religious freedom,” aiming to prevent removals like Ghasemzadeh’s.
Her lawyer has filed a complaint with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights against both US and Panamanian authorities.
The Telly Awards, established in 1979, honor excellence in video and television across all screens.
Rajabian whose compositions have been featured in several Mercedes-Benz promotional materials, was recognized at the 46th edition of the awards.
His music was featured in teasers for the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, the brand's most expensive model, and for Earth Day campaigns.
"The award has previously been given to the creators of teaser music for BMW, Toyota, Meta, Adidas, Apple, and Netflix, as well as to producers of content from The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Fox News, NBC, Bloomberg, Warner Bros., and others," Rajabian said on his Instagram, dedicating the prize to his fans.
The Iranian artist was honored in 2023 with the United Nations' Minority Artist Award, which recognized his efforts to highlight issues of discrimination and human rights through his art.
"Happiness is a collective event, and unfortunately, no one is happy here [Iran]. The situation has changed completely after the recent protests. No award can be a criterion for determining an artist's artistic value, but it can certainly be a platform for the voice of human rights and artistic freedom,” said Rajabian in a statement on his UN award.
He previously faced imprisonment in Iran for his musical activities, enduring solitary confinement and a hunger strike.
Rajabian was arrested in 2013 for releasing underground music and was charged with “propaganda against the government”. He was put in solitary confinement for three months and then released on bail.
He was again arrested in 2015 for his album The History of Iran Narrated by Setar, a lute-like instrument used in traditional Persian music.
In Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, Rajabian began a 40-day hunger strike that led to his release on parole in 2017.
Rajabian was arrested again in 2020 for his album Middle Eastern but did not spend time in jail and was released on bail. He was accused of “encouraging prostitution” because females were singing in the album.