[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 26 (Thursday, February 17, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 73--SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY, UNIVERSAL RIGHTS AND THE
IRANIAN PEOPLE IN THEIR PEACEFUL CALL FOR A REPRESENTATIVE AND
RESPONSIVE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT
Mr. KIRK (for himself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Kyl, Mr. Casey, Mr. Nelson of
Florida, Mr. Graham, and Mrs. Gillibrand) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 73
Whereas, on February 5, 2011, Mir Hossein Moussavi and
Mehdi Karroubi requested permission from the Government of
Iran to hold a peaceful demonstration on February 14, 2011;
Whereas Moussavi and Karroubi wrote, ``In order to declare
support for the popular movements in the region, particularly
with those of the freedom seeking movements of the people of
Egypt and Tunisia against dictatorships, we request a permit
to invite the people for a rally.'';
Whereas the Government of Iran denied this request and, on
February 9, 2011, Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein
Hamedani said, ``We definitely see them as enemies of the
revolution and spies, and we will confront them with
force.'';
Whereas, before the planned protest on February 14, 2011,
the Government of Iran placed Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein
Moussavi under house arrest and interrupted Internet, text
message, satellite, and cell phone service inside Iran;
Whereas, on February 14, 2011, the people of Iran held
demonstrations protesting the Iranian regime in Tehran,
Rasht, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and Ahwaz;
Whereas, on February 15, 2011, members of the parliament of
Iran called for the execution of opposition leaders Mir
Hossein Moussavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Mohammad Khatami;
Whereas, on the same day, speaker of the Parliament in Iran
Ali Larijani said, ``The parliament condemns the Zionist,
American, anti-revolutionary and anti-national actions of the
misled seditionists.'';
Whereas, on February 14, 2011, Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton said, ``What you see happening in Iran today is a
testament to the courage of the Iranian people and an
indictment of the hypocrisy of the Iranian regime, a regime
which over the last three weeks has constantly hailed what
went on in Egypt. And now when given the opportunity to
afford their people the same rights as they called for on
behalf of the Egyptian people, once again, illustrate their
true nature.'';
Whereas, on February 15, 2011, President Barack Obama
saluted the ``courage'' of the Iranian people and said, ``We
are going to continue to see the people of Iran have the
courage to be able to express their yearning for greater
freedoms and a more representative government.'';
Whereas, on February 15, 2011, European Union High
Representative Catherine Ashton called ``on the Iranian
authorities to fully respect and protect the rights of their
citizens, including freedom of expression and the right to
assemble peacefully'';
Whereas, on February 3, 2011, the Senate passed Senate
Resolution 44, 112th Congress, reaffirming the commitment of
the United States to the universal rights of freedom of
assembly, freedom of speech, and freedom of access to
information, including the Internet, and expressed strong
support for the people of Egypt in their peaceful calls for a
representative and responsive democratic government that
respects these rights; and
Whereas the people of Iran also deserve support from the
United States in their peaceful struggle for a representative
and responsive democratic government that respects their
universal rights of freedom of assembly, freedom of speech,
and freedom of association, including via the Internet: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) condemns the ongoing violence against demonstrators by
the Government of Iran and pro-government militias, as well
as the ongoing government suppression of independent
electronic communication through interference with the
Internet and cellphones;
(2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the
universal rights of freedom of assembly, freedom of speech,
and freedom of association, including via the Internet;
(3) expresses strong support for the people of Iran in
their peaceful calls for a representative and responsive
democratic government that respects these rights;
(4) calls on the Government of Iran to release all Iranians
detained or imprisoned solely on the basis of their religion,
faith, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, or
political belief;
(5) calls on the United Nations Human Rights Council to
establish an independent human rights monitor for Iran; and
(6) affirms the universality of individual rights and the
importance of democratic and fair elections.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I come to speak in support of the
resolution submitted today by Senator Kirk, cosponsored by myself,
Senator Kyl, Senator Bill Nelson, and Senator Casey.
Our resolution would add our voice to the many voices who are calling
for the Iranian Government to respect the undeniable and universal
rights of its people. It would condemn continuing violent repression on
the part of the Iranian Government; reaffirm our Nation's commitment to
universal freedoms; express our support for the Iranian people in their
peaceful calls for reform; call on the Iranian Government to release
those detained solely on the basis of their religion, faith, ethnicity,
race, gender, sexual orientation, or political belief; call on the
United Nations to establish an independent human rights monitor for
Iran; and reaffirm the universality of individual rights and the
importance of democratic elections. It would amplify and strengthen the
message that 24 of us sent this week in letter to Secretary Clinton
urging her to work with the United Nations Human Rights Commission to
establish a human rights monitor for Iran.
Recent events in Iran have continued a pattern of abuse, repression,
and violation of civil and human rights that is all too familiar.
The people of Iran have rightly seen recent events in the Muslim
world, including the removal of dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, as
confirmation of the power of nonviolent protest. Just as they did in
the aftermath of flawed elections in 2009, the people of Iran have
sought to speak out against the corruption and repression in their
government.
If justice is to be done, the Government of Iran would allow these
protests, hear the grievances of the people, reform a government whose
autocratic substance is in no way concealed by the facade of
representative democracy that the regime has constructed. Instead, the
Iranian Government has quashed protest, cut off access to the Internet
and other means of communication, and placed opposition leaders under
house arrest. Members of the ruling regime have called for the
execution of opposition leaders and for violent repression of dissent.
We have seen in just a few short weeks the dramatic power of
nonviolent protest. We have seen that ultimately, dictatorship will
lose its iron grip. I believe we are all confident that the march of
time and progress will restore to the people of Iran the rights their
government denies them.
But today, as the Iranian people bear the brunt of autocracy and as
dissenters face the threat of violent repression, it is important for
all those who believe in universal rights to speak out against that
repression and violence, to let the people of Iran know that they do
not face these threats alone, and to declare that we are in support of
their attempts to determine the course of their nation. I strongly
support this resolution and call for its immediate passage.
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