IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 676 

Supporting the rights of the people of Iran to free expression, condemning 

the Iranian regime for its crackdown on legitimate protests, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 5, 2018 

Mr. ROYCE of California (for himself and Mr. ENGEL) submitted the following 

resolution 

JANUARY 8, 2018 

Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the rights of the people of Iran to free expression, 

condemning the Iranian regime for its crackdown on 

legitimate protests, and for other purposes. 

Whereas, on December 28, 2017, popular protests against 

the Iranian regime began in the city of Mashad and rapidly spread throughout the country, in the most significant anti-government protests in Iran since June 2009; 

Whereas the protesters have expressed numerous economic 

grievances, including the regime’s widespread corruption 

and the Revolutionary Guard Corps’ control of the country’s economy; 


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Whereas protesters have decried the regime’s costly, destabilizing activities abroad, including its support for terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and the murderous 

Assad regime in Syria; 

Whereas reports indicate that more than 1,000 Iranians have 

been arrested and almost two dozen killed in connection 

with the protests; 

Whereas the Iranian regime has shut down mobile internet 

access and has blocked and pressured companies to cut 

off social media applications used by activists to organize 

and publicize the protests; 

Whereas Congress has provided authority to license the provision of communications technology to Iran to improve the 

ability of the Iranian people to speak freely; 

Whereas, on January 1, 2018, regime officials threatened to 

crack down, with Brigadier General Esmaeil Kowsari of 

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps stating, ‘‘If this situation continues, the officials will definitely make some decisions and at that point this business will be finished.’’; 

Whereas Congress has provided authority to designate and 

sanction elements of the Iranian regime involved in significant corruption and serious human rights abuses; 

Whereas Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps 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 regime has routinely violated the human rights 

of Iranian citizens, including ongoing, systematic, and serious restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly and association and freedom of opinion and expression, includVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:00 Jan 09, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR676.IH HR676

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•HRES 676 IH 

ing 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’s 2016 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, 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 1, 2018, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, 

Boris Johnson, stated that ‘‘The UK is watching events 

in Iran closely. We believe that there should be meaningful debate about the legitimate and important issues the 

protesters are raising and we look to the Iranian authorities to permit this.’’; 

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.’’; 


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Whereas, on January 1, 2018, a spokesman for the Canadian 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that ‘‘We call on the 

Iranian authorities to uphold and respect democratic and 

human rights’’ and ‘‘We are encouraged by the Iranian 

people who are bravely exercising their basic right to protest peacefully. Canada will continue to support the fundamental rights of the Iranians, including freedom of expression.’’; 

Whereas Iran is a member of the United Nations, voted for 

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, among other international human rights treaties; and 

Whereas, in violation of these and other international obligations, Iranian regime officials continue to violate the fundamental human rights of the Iranian people: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) stands with the people of Iran that are en3 gaged in legitimate and peaceful protests against an 

4 oppressive, corrupt regime; 

5 (2) condemns the Iranian regime’s serious 

6 human rights abuses against the Iranian people, sig7 nificant corruption, and destabilizing activities 

8 abroad; 

9 (3) notes the statements of support for the 

10 protestors from key allies and calls on all democratic 

11 governments and institutions to clearly support the 

12 Iranian people’s right to live in a free society; 


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1 (4) demands that the Iranian regime abide by 

2 its international obligations with respect to human 

3 rights and civil liberties, including freedoms of as4 sembly, speech, and press; 

5 (5) urges the Administration to use targeted 

6 sanctions and work to convene emergency sessions of 

7 the United Nations Security Council and the United 

8 Nations Human Rights Council to condemn the on9 going human rights violations perpetrated by the 

10 Iranian regime and establish a mechanism by which 

11 the Security Council can monitor such violations; 

12 (6) encourages the Administration to expedite 

13 the license of communications technology to Iran to 

14 improve the ability of the Iranian people to speak 

15 freely; 

16 (7) calls on companies to reject requests by the 

17 regime to cut off the Iranian people from social 

18 media and other communications platforms; 

19 (8) respects the proud history and rich culture 

20 of the Iranian nation and fully supports efforts by 

21 the people of Iran to promote the establishment of 

22 basic freedoms that build the foundation for the 

23 emergence of a freely elected, open, and democratic 

24 political system; and 


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1 (9) urges the President and the Secretary of 

2 State to work with the international community to 

3 ensure that violations of human rights are part of all 

4 formal and informal multilateral or bilateral discus5 sions with and regarding Iran. 

Æ 


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