IV 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1118 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

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.