III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 386 

Condemning the Government of Iran for restricting and suppressing freedom 

of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom 

of assembly, and for its human rights abuses, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 22, 2009 

Mr. KAUFMAN (for himself, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. DODD, Mr. 

KYL, Mr. CASEY, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. BROWNBACK, and Mr. 

HATCH) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Government of Iran for restricting and suppressing freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly, and for 

its human rights abuses, and for other purposes. 

Whereas hundreds of thousands of Iranian citizens have engaged in peaceful protest since the June 12, 2009, presidential election in Iran; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has responded to these protests with a concerted campaign of intimidation, repression, and violence, including human rights abuses against 

Iranian citizens; 

Whereas there have been numerous allegations of torture, 

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•SRES 386 ATS 

nian citizens by the Government of Iran since the June 

12 elections; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has sought to restrict and 

suppress the legitimate right of the people of Iran to exercise freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom 

of assembly, and freedom of the press; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has monitored, controlled, 

and censored access to the Internet, and has conducted 

a campaign of harassment and intimidation through the 

electronic media; 

Whereas Freedom House assesses Internet and digital media 

in Iran as ‘‘Not Free,’’ and characterizes the Government 

of Iran as wielding ‘‘one of the world’s most sophisticated 

apparatuses for controlling the internet and other digital 

technologies’’; 

Whereas the Government of Iran is engaged in a range of activities that interfere with, or infringe upon, the right of 

the people of Iran to access accurate, independent news 

and information; 

Whereas, according to Amnesty International, the Government of Iran has banned several newspapers, including 

Farhang-e Ashti, Arman-e Ravabet-e Omomi, Tahlil-e 

Rooz, and Sarmayeh; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has harassed, arrested, detained, imprisoned, and assaulted numerous Iranian and 

foreign journalists, publishers, editors, photographers, 

cameramen, and bloggers; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has prohibited Iranian and 

non-Iranian news services from distributing reports in 

Farsi; 


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•SRES 386 ATS 

Whereas the Government of Iran has revoked and temporarily suspended the accreditation of foreign journalists 

to report on current events and news developments in 

Iran; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has interrupted short message service (SMS), preventing text message communications and blocking Internet sites that utilize such services; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has partially jammed shortwave and medium wave transmissions of Radio Farda, 

the Persian language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio 

Liberty; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has intermittently jammed 

satellite broadcasts by Radio Farda, the Voice of America’s Persian News Network (PNN), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and other non-Iranian government news services; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has blocked Web sites and 

blogs, including social networking, content-sharing, and 

blogging sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, 

Orkut, Blogger, and Persianblog; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has targeted, blocked, and 

limited Internet connections and mobile network access to 

thwart communication in advance of planned demonstrations, and has seized mobile phones that were used to 

film or document the demonstrations; 

Whereas the Government of Iran has monitored online activities of Iranians and threatened them and their families 

with punitive action, including citizens of Iran and Iranian-Americans living in the United States and elsewhere 

overseas; 


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•SRES 386 ATS 

Whereas, in November 2009, the police forces of the Government of Iran formed a special unit to monitor websites 

and ‘‘Internet crimes,’’ including political offenses; 

Whereas the Victims of Iranian Censorship Act (subtitle D 

of title XII of Public Law 111–84), which was signed 

into law on October 28, 2009, stipulates that ‘‘it shall be 

the policy of the United States to encourage the development of technologies, including Internet Web sites, that 

facilitate the efforts of the Iranian people to gain access 

to and share accurate information and exercise freedom 

of speech, freedom of expressions, freedom of assembly, 

and freedom of the press, through the Internet or other 

electronic media’’; 

Whereas on December 10, 2009, President Barack Obama 

affirmed in his statement accepting the Nobel Peace 

Prize, ‘‘We will bear witness to the quiet dignity of reformers. . .to the hundreds of thousands who have 

marched silently through the streets of Iran. It is telling 

that the leaders of these governments fear the aspirations 

of their own people more than the power of any other nation. And it is the responsibility of all free people and 

free nations to make clear to these movements that hope 

and history are on their side.’’ 

Whereas, on December 18, 2009, the United Nations General 

Assembly passed a resolution calling on the Government 

of Iran to respect its human rights obligations, including 

its obligations under its own constitution as well as those 

of international human rights law; and 

Whereas, on December 18, 2009, the Department of State 

issued a statement welcoming the passage of the United 

Nations resolution which stated, ‘‘The resolution, first 

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presses deep concern over the brutal response of Iranian 

authorities to peaceful demonstrations in the wake of the 

June 12 election. . .Those in Iran who are trying to exercise their universal rights should know that their voices 

are being heard.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the right of the people of Iran to 

3 peacefully express their voices, opinions, and aspira4 tions, despite intimidation, repression, and violence; 

5 (2) condemns the human rights abuses com6 mitted by the Government of Iran against Iranian 

7 citizens; 

8 (3) condemns the efforts of the Government of 

9 Iran to restrict and suppress freedom of the press, 

10 freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and free11 dom of assembly; 

12 (4) condemns online censorship, monitoring, in13 timidation, and harassment conducted by the Gov14 ernment of Iran, including threats against citizens of 

15 Iran and Iranian-Americans living in the United 

16 States; 

17 (5) condemns an atmosphere of impunity in 

18 Iran for those who employ censorship, intimidation, 

19 harassment, or violence to restrict and suppress 

20 freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of 

21 assembly, and freedom of the press; 


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1 (6) condemns the Government of Iran for vio2 lating the International Covenant on Civil and Polit3 ical Rights, done at New York December 16, 1966, 

4 and entered into force March 23, 1976, which has 

5 been ratified by Iran and states, ‘‘Everyone shall 

6 have the right to freedom of expression; this right 

7 shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart in8 formation and ideas of all kinds, regardless of fron9 tiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form 

10 of art, or through any other media of his choice.’’; 

11 (7) welcomes the decision made by the Depart12 ment of State on December 15, 2009, to foster and 

13 support the free flow of information to Iranian citi14 zens by recommending that the Department of the 

15 Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) 

16 issue a general license that would authorize 

17 downloads of free mass market software to Iran nec18 essary for the exchange of personal communications 

19 or sharing of information or both over the Internet 

20 as deemed ‘‘essential to the national interest of the 

21 United States’’; and 

22 (8) urges the implementation of the Victims of 

23 Iranian Censorship Act (subtitle D of title XII of 

24 Public Law 111–84). 

Æ 


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