III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 154 

Supporting political reform in Iran and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 23, 2013 

Mr. HOEVEN (for himself and Mr. BLUMENTHAL) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting political reform in Iran and for other purposes. 

Whereas democracy, human rights, and civil liberties are universal values and fundamental principles of the foreign 

policy of the United States; 

Whereas an essential element of democratic self-government 

is for leaders to be chosen and regularly held accountable 

through elections that are organized and conducted in a 

manner that is free, fair, inclusive, and consistent with 

international standards; 

Whereas governments in which power does not derive from 

free and fair elections lack democratic legitimacy; 

Whereas the Supreme Leader of Iran is unelected, has the 

power to veto any decision made by the president or parliament of Iran, and controls the foreign and defense policy of Iran; 


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•SRES 154 IS 

Whereas the current Supreme Leader of Iran has been in 

power since 1989 and has never been subject to a popular referendum of any kind; 

Whereas elections in Iran are marred by the disqualification 

of candidates based on their political views, the absence 

of credible international observers, widespread intimidation and repression of candidates, political parties, and 

citizens, and systemic electoral fraud and manipulation; 

Whereas elections in Iran consistently involve severe restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association, including censorship, surveillance, disruptions in 

telecommunications, and the absence of a free media; 

Whereas the current president of Iran came to office through 

an election on June 12, 2009, that was widely condemned 

in Iran and throughout the world as neither free nor fair 

and provoked large-scale peaceful protests throughout 

Iran; 

Whereas authorities in Iran continue to hold several candidates from the 2009 election in indefinite detention; 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran 

banned more than 2,200 candidates from participating in 

the March 2, 2012, parliamentary elections and refused 

to allow domestic or international election observers to 

oversee those elections; 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran 

seeks to prevent the people of Iran from accessing news 

and information by disrupting access to the Internet, including blocking e-mail and social networking sites, limiting access to foreign news and websites, and developing 

a national Internet that will facilitate government censorship of news and information, and by jamming interVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:23 May 24, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR154.IS SR154

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•SRES 154 IS 

national broadcasts such as the Voice of America Persian 

News Network and Radio Farda, a Persian language 

broadcast of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; 

Whereas authorities in Iran have announced that a presidential election will be held on June 14, 2013; and 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has 

banned numerous candidates from participating in the 

June 14, 2013, presidential election: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recalls Senate Resolution 386, 112th Con3 gress, agreed to March 5, 2012, which called for free 

4 and fair elections in Iran; 

5 (2) reaffirms the commitment of the United 

6 States to democracy, human rights, civil liberties, 

7 and the rule of law, including the universal rights of 

8 freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of 

9 the press, and freedom of association; 

10 (3) expresses support for freedom, human 

11 rights, civil liberties, and rule of law in Iran, and for 

12 elections that are free and fair; 

13 (4) expresses strong support for the people of 

14 Iran in their peaceful calls for a representative and 

15 responsive democratic government that respects 

16 human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law; 


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1 (5) condemns the widespread human rights vio2 lations of the Government of the Islamic Republic of 

3 Iran; 

4 (6) calls on the Government of the Islamic Re5 public of Iran to respect freedom of expression and 

6 association in Iran by— 

7 (A) holding elections that are free, fair, 

8 and responsive to the people of Iran, including 

9 by refraining from disqualifying candidates for 

10 political reasons; 

11 (B) making the highest level of executive 

12 power in the Government of the Islamic Repub13 lic of Iran accountable to the people of Iran 

14 through free and fair elections; 

15 (C) ending arbitrary detention, torture, 

16 and other forms of harassment against media 

17 professionals, human rights defenders and ac18 tivists, and opposition figures, and releasing all 

19 individuals detained for exercising universally 

20 recognized human rights; 

21 (D) lifting legislative restrictions on free22 dom of assembly, association, and expression; 

23 and 


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1 (E) allowing the Internet to remain free 

2 and open and allowing domestic and inter3 national media to operate freely; 

4 (7) calls on the Government of the Islamic Re5 public of Iran to allow international election mon6 itors to be present for the June 14, 2013, election; 

7 (8) notes that the legitimacy of the June 14, 

8 2013, election will be further called into question 

9 if— 

10 (A) candidates are disqualified for political 

11 reasons; 

12 (B) international election monitors are not 

13 present; and 

14 (C) following the election, the highest level 

15 of executive power in Iran remains unaccount16 able to the people of Iran; and 

17 (9) urges the President of the United States, 

18 the Secretary of State, and other world leaders— 

19 (A) to express support for the universal 

20 rights and freedoms of the people of Iran, in21 cluding to democratic self-government and fully 

22 accountable elected leaders; 

23 (B) to engage with the people of Iran and 

24 support their efforts to promote human rights 

25 and democratic reform, including supporting 


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1 civil society organizations that promote democ2 racy and governance; 

3 (C) to support policies and programs that 

4 preserve free and open access to the Internet in 

5 Iran; and 

6 (D) to condemn elections that are not free 

7 and fair and that do not meet international 

8 standards. 

Æ 


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