[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 979 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 979

   Expressing support for the Iranian people's continuing protests, 
fundamental human rights, and the desire for a democratic, secular, and 
                     non-nuclear republic in Iran.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 29, 2018

   Mr. Rohrabacher (for himself and Mr. Poe of Texas) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing support for the Iranian people's continuing protests, 
fundamental human rights, and the desire for a democratic, secular, and 
                     non-nuclear republic in Iran.

Whereas Iran is a member of the United Nations, and is a signatory to the 
        Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on 
        Civil and Political Rights, among other international human rights 
        treaties;
Whereas in violation of these and other international obligations, Iranian 
        regime officials continue to violate the fundamental human rights of the 
        Iranian people, including ongoing, systematic, and serious restrictions 
        of freedom of peaceful assembly and association and freedom of opinion 
        and expression, including the continuing closures of media outlets, 
        arrests of journalists, and the censorship of expression in online 
        forums such as blogs and websites;
Whereas the Department of State 2017 International Religious Freedom Report 
        states that ``According to the special rapporteur's August 14 report, 
        adherents of recognized religions . . . continue to face severe 
        restrictions and discrimination, and are reportedly prosecuted for 
        peacefully manifesting their religious beliefs.'';
Whereas, on June 13, 2018, Iranian authorities again detained prominent lawyer 
        and human rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh;
Whereas according to Amnesty International, on June 18, 2018, 51-year-old Sufi 
        bus driver, Mohammad Salas, was executed after a grossly unfair trial, 
        and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo strongly condemned this execution;
Whereas senior governmental, military, and public security officials in Iran 
        have continued ordering, and committing egregious human rights 
        violations that, in many cases, represent official policies of the 
        Iranian regime;
Whereas, on December 28, 2017, popular protests against the Iranian regime began 
        in the city of Mashhad and rapidly spread throughout the country, in the 
        most significant anti-government protests in Iran since June 2009;
Whereas through the protests and slogans the peoples of Iran have demonstrated 
        that neither military intervention nor economic and political 
        concessions to the present viable alternatives in resolving the Iranian 
        crisis; instead articulating their desire for the establishment of a 
        democratic, secular, non-nuclear republic in Iran;
Whereas Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has confirmed that in 2018, the Iranian 
        regime has imprisoned ``hundreds of Sufi dervishes, dozens of 
        environmentalists, 400 Ahwazis, [and] 30 Isfahan farmers'', in addition 
        to over 5,000 people arrested during January 2018 nationwide protests;
Whereas through the chants of ``Our enemy is right here, they lie when they say 
        it's America.'', the Iranian peoples have undermined the Iranian 
        regime's attempts to portray international support for the people of 
        Iran as either interference in Iranian affairs or warmongering;
Whereas these protests have continued in the ensuing months in Ahvaz 
        (southwest), Kazerun (south), and Isfahan (central Iran), leading to the 
        nationwide strike by more than 500,000 truck drivers and owners in 280 
        cities and in all 31 provinces, prompted by numerous economic, social 
        and political grievances, including the lack of basic freedoms, 
        institutionalized government corruption, economic mismanagement, and the 
        Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) control of the lion's share of 
        the country's economy;
Whereas protesters have rejected the regime's costly, destabilizing activities 
        abroad, including its support for the regime in Syria and terrorist 
        groups such as Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon, 
        manifested in the chants of ``Leave Syria alone, think of us.'', and 
        ``Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran.'';
Whereas with chants of ``Down with Khamenei, down with Rouhani.'' and 
        ``Reformers, hardliners, the game is now over.'', the Iranian people 
        have demonstrated their rejection of the theocratic regime in its 
        entirety;
Whereas, on December 29, 2017, the Department of State strongly condemned the 
        arrest of peaceful protesters and noted that ``Iran's leaders have 
        turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an 
        economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, 
        bloodshed, and chaos.'';
Whereas, on January 2, 2018, the French Foreign Ministry stated that ``French 
        authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Iran. Demonstrating 
        freely is a fundamental right. The same is true for the free movement of 
        information. France expresses its concern over the large number of 
        victims and arrests.'';
Whereas IRGC and its Basij militia have been sanctioned by the United States for 
        planning and carrying out serious human rights abuses against the 
        Iranian people, including for the cruel and prolonged torture of 
        political dissidents;
Whereas the House of Representatives, through H.R. 4744, has expressed support 
        for ``efforts made by the peoples of Iran to promote the establishment 
        of basic freedoms that build the foundation for the emergence of a 
        freely elected, open, non-corrupt and democratic political system'';
Whereas a free and democratic Iran will recognize the rights and sovereignty of 
        all countries of the region, non-interference in their affairs of 
        neighboring countries, and establishing political, economic, and 
        cultural relations based on peaceful coexistence with all countries of 
        the Middle East and the world;
Whereas a free and democratic Iran will seek equal political participation by 
        all Iranians from all ethnic and religious groups, including Arabs, 
        Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Lurs, Persians, Qashqai, Turkemans, and others;
Whereas an inclusive and broad-based dialogue process, that includes 
        representatives from all ethnic and religious groups, would work to 
        agree on the new Constitution of a free and decentralized democratic 
        Iran;
Whereas Iranian opposition groups have called for universal suffrage and free 
        elections, and advocate gender, religious and ethnic equality, adherence 
        to market economy principles and the establishment of a decentralized 
        republic based on separation of religion and state and a non-nuclear 
        Iran;
Whereas these plans commit a free and democratic Iran to the abolition of Sharia 
        Law, the death penalty, a foreign policy based on peaceful coexistence, 
        international and regional peace and cooperation; and
Whereas the plan recognizes that the ballot box is the only criterion for 
        legitimacy, and accordingly it seeks a republic based on universal 
        suffrage: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) stands with the people of Iran who are engaged in 
        continuing, legitimate and peaceful protests against an 
        oppressive, corrupt regime;
            (2) condemns the Iranian regime's egregious human rights 
        abuses against the Iranian people, institutional corruption, 
        destabilizing activities abroad, and the failure to abide by 
        its international conventions and obligations; and
            (3) supports efforts by the Iranian people and opposition 
        movements who support a democratic, secular, non-nuclear 
        republic form of government in Iran, and promote the 
        establishment of basic freedoms and a democratic political 
        system in which free and fair elections under universal 
        suffrage would serve as the only legitimate path to political 
        power.
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