IV 

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 censorVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:43 Jun 29, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR979.IH HR979

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•HRES 979 IH 

ship 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; 


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•HRES 979 IH 

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 AlSha’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; 


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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 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) stands with the people of Iran who are en3 gaged in continuing, legitimate and peaceful protests 

4 against an oppressive, corrupt regime; 

5 (2) condemns the Iranian regime’s egregious 

6 human rights abuses against the Iranian people, in7 stitutional corruption, destabilizing activities abroad, 

8 and the failure to abide by its international conven9 tions and obligations; and 


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•HRES 979 IH 

1 (3) supports efforts by the Iranian people and 

2 opposition movements who support a democratic, 

3 secular, non-nuclear republic form of government in 

4 Iran, and promote the establishment of basic free5 doms and a democratic political system in which free 

6 and fair elections under universal suffrage would 

7 serve as the only legitimate path to political power. 

Æ 


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