[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 2 (Thursday, January 4, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S47]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 368--SUPPORTING THE RIGHT OF ALL IRANIAN CITIZENS TO 
                        HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD

  Mr. CORKER (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. 
Johnson) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 368

       Whereas, on December 28, 2017, Iranian citizens initiated 
     protests objecting to the system of entrenched corruption and 
     impoverishment in Iran, as well as the Government of Iran's 
     foreign policy of supporting terrorism;
       Whereas these protests began in the city of Mashhad and 
     rapidly spread throughout urban and rural populations across 
     Iran;
       Whereas these protests constitute the most significant 
     anti-government protests in Iran since June 2009;
       Whereas reports indicate that Iranian citizens have 
     expressed numerous economic grievances, including the 
     regime's widespread corruption and investment of resources in 
     regional conflicts;
       Whereas reports indicate that many hundreds of Iranians 
     have been arrested and dozens killed in connection with the 
     protests;
       Whereas the Government of Iran has shut down mobile 
     internet access and is working to block access to social 
     media applications used to organize and publicize the 
     protests;
       Whereas online social networking and information sharing 
     sites such as Telegram, Instagram, and Twitter have been 
     blocked;
       Whereas the Government of Iran has routinely violated the 
     human rights of its citizens, 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 2016 Department of State Human Rights Report on 
     Iran noted ``severe restrictions on civil liberties, 
     including the freedoms of assembly, association, speech, 
     religion, and press. Other human rights problems included 
     abuse of due process combined with use of capital punishment 
     for crimes that do not meet the requirements of due process, 
     as well as cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or 
     punishment; and disregard for the physical integrity of 
     persons, whom authorities arbitrarily and unlawfully 
     detained, tortured, or killed.'';
       Whereas the Government of Iran has previously responded to 
     protests with a concerted campaign of intimidation, 
     repression, and violence, including human rights abuses 
     against Iranian citizens;
       Whereas the Government of Iran continues to operate with 
     hostility and impunity toward journalists, reformers, ethnic 
     and religious minorities, political opponents, human rights 
     defenders, women's rights groups, student activists, and 
     others, including through unlawful and arbitrary detentions, 
     arrests, politically motivated sentencing, physical assaults, 
     and killings; and
       Whereas, on December 29, 2017, the Department of State 
     strongly condemned the arrest of peaceful protesters and 
     noted, ``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.'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the right of all Iranian citizens, many of 
     whom braved the persistent and pervasive threat of 
     censorship, arrest, physical harassment, and death, to have 
     their voices heard;
       (2) calls on the Government of Iran to respect the rights 
     of the people of Iran to freedom of speech, press, religion, 
     association, and assembly;
       (3) condemns the Government of Iran's persistent human 
     rights violations;
       (4) warns the Government of Iran against any violence or 
     retribution targeting peaceful protestors;
       (5) objects to acts of censorship, intimidation, and other 
     restrictions on freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and 
     freedom of expression in Iran;
       (6) encourages the President, the Secretary of State, and 
     the United States Ambassador to the United Nations to work to 
     convene emergency sessions of the United Nations Security 
     Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council to 
     condemn the ongoing human rights violations perpetrated by 
     the Government of Iran and establish a monitoring mechanism 
     by which the Council can monitor such violations;
       (7) calls on the Government of Iran to cooperate with and 
     allow visits of the United Nations Special Rapporteurs for 
     Human Rights and the United Nations Office of the High 
     Commissioner for Human Rights; and
       (8) urges the President and Secretary of State to work with 
     the international community to ensure that violations of 
     human rights are part of all formal and informal multilateral 
     or bilateral discussions with and regarding Iran.

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