H. Res. 976

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 20, 2006.

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran was 

elected through a controlled and fixed election process 

which does not allow the Iranian people to freely elect 

their leaders; 

Whereas the Government of Iran is unaccountable to the will 

of the Iranian people; 

Whereas the Government of Iran is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the 

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural 

Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; 

Whereas the Government of Iran within both its legal framework and everyday practice continues to violate the civil 

and human rights of its citizens, in particular women, religious and ethnic minorities, and vocal opponents of the 

regime; 

Whereas the Government of Iran practices discrimination 

against the aforementioned groups through denial of access to education and employment, seizure of private 

property, violent suppression of peaceful protest and freedom of assembly, arbitrary arrest and detention, physical 

and mental torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading pun-
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ishment, such as public executions, hanging, and stoning, 

and extra judicial killings of dissidents and ordinary citizens; 

Whereas the Constitution of Iran promotes religious intolerance and prohibits religious freedom by endorsing one religion to the exclusion of other religious beliefs; 

Whereas an unelected theocratic ruler and clerical elite exert 

control over the executive, legislative, and judicial 

branches of the Iranian Government; 

Whereas the Iranian judiciary is not independent and can be 

subject to arbitrary dismissal by the clerics; 

Whereas on December 16, 2005, the United Nations General 

Assembly passed a resolution discussing the human 

rights violations by the Government of Iran and insisting 

that Iran eliminate in law and in practice discrimination 

toward the aforementioned groups; 

Whereas international human rights organizations have called 

for investigations into violent crackdowns of peaceful protests and other human rights violations which the Government of Iran has ignored; 

Whereas Iran sent to the June 2006 inaugural meetings of 

the United Nations Human Rights Council Saeed 

Mortazavi, Tehran’s Prosecutor General responsible for 

jailing hundreds of journalists and linked to the 2003 arrest, imprisonment, and murder of an Iranian-Canadian 

photojournalist, showing a blatant disregard for the issue 

of human rights reform; and 

Whereas the Department of State’s Country Report on 

Human Rights Practices and Report on International Religious Freedom document the human rights abuses by 
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the Government of Iran and list Iran as a ‘‘Country of 

Particular Concern’’: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) condemns the human rights abuses perpetrated 

by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and 

strongly urges the international community to bring 

pressure on Iran to halt discrimination and violence toward its citizens, in particular women, religious and ethnic minorities, and vocal opponents of the regime; 

(2) urges the Government of the United States to 

continue to pressure the Government of Iran into making measurable improvements in the human rights situation for the Iranian people; and 

(3) expresses its unity with all Iranian people and 

shares their desire to see Iran become a free country 

with transparent, democratic institutions and equal 

rights for all. 

Attest:

Clerk.