Whereas democracy, human rights, and civil liberties are
universal values and fundamental principles of United States foreign
policy;
Whereas an essential element of democratic self-government
is for leaders to be chosen and regularly held accountable through elections
that are organized and conducted in a manner that is free, fair, inclusive, and
consistent with international standards;
Whereas governments whose power does not derive from free
and fair elections lack democratic legitimacy;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is
a signatory to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, adopted December 16, 1966 (ICCPR), which states that every citizen has
the right to vote at genuine periodic elections
that reflect
the free expression of the will of the electors
;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
regularly violates its obligations under the ICCPR, holding elections that are
neither free nor fair nor consistent with international standards;
Whereas elections in Iran are marred by the
disqualification of candidates based on their political views; the absence of
credible international observers; severe restrictions on freedom of expression,
assembly, and association, including censorship, surveillance, and disruptions
in telecommunications, and the absence of a free media; widespread intimidation
and repression of candidates, political parties, and citizens; and systemic
electoral fraud and manipulation;
Whereas the last nationwide election held in Iran, on June
12, 2009, was widely condemned inside Iran and throughout the world as neither
free nor fair and provoked large-scale peaceful protests throughout
Iran;
Whereas, following the June 12, 2009, election, the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran responded to peaceful protests with
a large-scale campaign of politically motivated violence, intimidation, and
repression, including acts of torture, cruel and degrading treatment in
detention, rape, executions, extrajudicial killings, and indefinite
detention;
Whereas, on December 26, 2011, the United Nations General
Assembly passed a resolution denouncing the serious human rights abuses
occurring in the Islamic Republic of Iran;
Whereas authorities in Iran continue to hold several
candidates from the 2009 election in indefinite detention;
Whereas authorities in Iran have announced that nationwide
parliamentary elections will be held on March 2, 2012;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has
banned more than 2,200 candidates from participating in the March 2, 2012,
elections, including current members of parliament;
Whereas no domestic or international election observers
are scheduled to oversee the March 2, 2012, elections;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
continues to hold leading opposition figures under house arrest;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
seeks to prevent the people of Iran from accessing news and information by
incarcerating more journalists than any other country in the world, according
to a 2011 report from the Committee to Protect Journalists; disrupting access
to the Internet, including blocking e-mail and social networking sites and
limiting access to foreign news and websites, developing a national Internet
that will facilitate government censorship of news and information, and jamming
international broadcasts such as the Voice of America’s Persian News Network
and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda; and
Whereas opposition groups in Iran have announced they will
boycott the March 2, 2012, election because they believe it will be neither
free nor fair nor consistent with international standards: Now, therefore, be
it
That the Senate—
(1)reaffirms the
commitment of the United States to democracy, human rights, civil liberties,
and rule of law, including the universal rights of freedom of assembly, freedom
of speech, and freedom of association;
(2)expresses support
for freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law in Iran, and for
elections that are free, fair, and meet international standards, including
granting independent international and domestic electoral observers
unrestricted access to polling and counting stations;
(3)expresses strong
support for the people of Iran in their peaceful calls for a representative and
responsive democratic government that respects human rights, civil liberties,
and the rule of law;
(4)reminds the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran of its obligations under the
international covenants to which it is a signatory to hold elections that are
free and fair;
(5)condemns the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s widespread human rights
violations;
(6)calls on the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect freedom of expression and
association in Iran by—
(A)ending arbitrary
detention, torture, and other forms of harassment against media professionals,
human rights defenders and activists, and opposition figures, and releasing all
individuals detained for exercising universally recognized human rights;
(B)lifting
legislative restrictions on freedoms of assembly, association, and expression;
and
(C)allowing the
Internet to remain free and open and allowing domestic and international media
to operate freely;
(7)further calls on
the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to allow international election
monitors to be present for the March 2, 2012, elections; and
(8)urges the
President, the Secretary of State, and other world leaders—
(A)to express
support for the universal rights and freedoms of the people of Iran, including
to democratic self-government;
(B)to broaden
engagement with the people of Iran and support efforts in the country to help
promote human rights and democratic reform, including by providing appropriate
funding to civil society organizations for democracy and governance activities;
and
(C)to condemn
elections that are not free and fair and that do not meet international
standards.