Mr. Speaker, today is the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.
The UN warns that during times of geopolitical strife, facts are manipulated, victims retraumatized and violations erased. This is not abstract. Many constituents in my riding have shared that their own family members are enduring these conditions in Iran today.
When a government turns against its people, the first things taken are food, water, dignity and truth. This is a collective responsibility. When people cannot speak their truth, we must speak it for them, so today, learn the names, share the stories and bear witness, because the most powerful thing any of us can do is refuse to let the truth disappear.