[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1118 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1118

    Expressing the concern of the House of Representatives over the 
Government of Iran's continued oppression of its people and calling on 
    the Administration to take further measures in support of those 
                oppressed by the current Iranian regime.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2010

   Mr. McCaul (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. 
 Inglis, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Olson, Mr. Kirk, 
 Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Mr. Royce, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, and Mr. 
  Wolf) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the concern of the House of Representatives over the 
Government of Iran's continued oppression of its people and calling on 
    the Administration to take further measures in support of those 
                oppressed by the current Iranian regime.

Whereas the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 
        2008 states that, ``The [Iranian] government's poor human rights record 
        worsened, and it continued to commit numerous serious abuses. . . . The 
        government executed numerous persons for criminal convictions as 
        juveniles and after unfair trials. Security forces were implicated in 
        custodial deaths and committed other acts of politically motivated 
        violence, including torture. The government administered severe 
        officially sanctioned punishments, including death by stoning, 
        amputation, and flogging . . .  . Authorities held political prisoners 
        and intensified a crackdown against women's rights reformers, ethnic 
        minority rights activists, student activists, and religious minorities. 
        There was a lack of judicial independence and fair public trials. The 
        government severely restricted civil liberties, including freedoms of 
        speech, expression, assembly, association, movement, and privacy, and it 
        placed severe restrictions on freedom of religion.  . . .'';
Whereas the United States supports the right of all Iranian citizens to exercise 
        their fundamental freedoms and to have equal protection under the law;
Whereas the Government of Iran continues to restrict Internet connections and 
        cell phone service and jam foreign satellite television and radio 
        broadcasts;
Whereas Iran has the highest number of jailed journalists in the world and 
        repeatedly arrests and expels foreign journalists;
Whereas the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Basij Resistance Force, 
        Law Enforcement Force, and other elements of the regime have repeatedly 
        attacked unarmed civilians;
Whereas in December 2009, regime leaders and parliamentarians threatened the 
        arrest and possible execution of opposition leaders and protesters;
Whereas on Ashura, the day of ritual Shiite mourning that fell on December 27, 
        2009, at least eight people were killed and hundreds arrested in clashes 
        between security forces and opposition supporters;
Whereas, on January 12, 2010, agents from the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence 
        and Security (MOIS) arrested Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Khalaji, a 
        prominent dissident cleric in Qom, and confiscated his family's personal 
        effects and passports, preventing them from leaving Iran;
Whereas over 300 political prisoners are still reportedly held in custody by the 
        Iranian Government;
Whereas the Government of Iran reportedly executed two dissidents on January 29, 
        2010; and
Whereas Ahmad Jannati, who heads the Government of Iran's powerful ``Guardian 
        Council'', has called for the execution of more dissidents and 
        protestors, and a senior official of the Iranian ``judiciary'' has 
        stated that the government will soon execute nine more dissidents: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls for--
                    (A) the immediate release of Ayatollah Mohammad 
                Taqi Khalaji and the ceasing of intimidation and 
                imprisonment of clerics;
                    (B) the protection of the human rights of all 
                Iranian citizens; and
                    (C) an end to the use of force against unarmed 
                civilians; and
            (2) calls on the Administration to--
                    (A) continue and strengthen its condemnation of the 
                current regime for its repeated human rights abuses;
                    (B) increase its support for those peacefully 
                demonstrating against the oppressive Iranian regime;
                    (C) support efforts to ensure the Iranian people 
                have free and open access to the Internet; and
                    (D) immediately impose comprehensive sanctions 
                against the Government of Iran.
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