[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 252 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 252
Calling for free and fair elections in Iran, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 6, 2013
Mr. Franks of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Latta, Mr. Peters
of California, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Mr. Roskam, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Nunnelee,
Mr. Cotton, Mr. Culberson, Mr. Pittenger, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois,
Mr. Stewart, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Michaud, and Mr. Brady
of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Calling for free and fair elections in Iran, and for other purposes.
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 no woman has ever been permitted to run for president by the Council of
Guardians;
Whereas authorities in Iran have announced that nationwide elections for the
presidency and for municipal councils will be held in June 2013;
Whereas no international election observers are scheduled to oversee the June
2013 elections;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to hold
candidates from the 2009 election under house arrest and dissidents in
indefinite detention; and
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 Web sites, 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: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(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 regulatory and 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 June 2013 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 support 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.
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