IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 252 

Calling for free and fair elections in Iran, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 6, 2013 

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona (for himself, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. LATTA, Mr. PETERS

of California, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. WOLF, Mr. 

NUNNELEE, Mr. COTTON, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. STEWART, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. MICHAUD, and Mr. BRADY of Texas) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for free and fair elections in Iran, and for other 

purposes. 

Whereas democracy, human rights, and civil liberties are universal values and fundamental principles of United States 

foreign policy; 

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 whose power does not derive from free 

and fair elections lack democratic legitimacy; 


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•HRES 252 IH 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is 

a signatory to the United Nations International Covenant 

on Civil and Political Rights, adopted December 16, 1966 

(ICCPR), which states that every citizen has the right to 

vote ‘‘at genuine periodic elections’’ that reflect ‘‘the free 

expression of the will of the electors’’; 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran regularly violates its obligations under the ICCPR, holding 

elections that are neither free nor fair nor consistent with 

international standards; 

Whereas elections in Iran are marred by the disqualification 

of candidates based on their political views; the absence 

of credible international observers; severe restrictions on 

freedom of expression, assembly, and association, including censorship, surveillance, and disruptions in telecommunications, and the absence of a free media; widespread intimidation and repression of candidates, political 

parties, and citizens; and systemic electoral fraud and 

manipulation; 

Whereas the last nationwide election held in Iran, on June 

12, 2009, was widely condemned inside Iran and 

throughout the world as neither free nor fair and provoked large-scale peaceful protests throughout Iran; 

Whereas, following the June 12, 2009, election, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran responded to peaceful protests with a large-scale campaign of politically motivated violence, intimidation, and repression, including 

acts of torture, cruel and degrading treatment in detention, rape, executions, extrajudicial killings, and indefinite detention; 


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Whereas, on December 26, 2011, the United Nations General 

Assembly passed a resolution denouncing the serious 

human rights abuses occurring in the Islamic Republic of 

Iran; 

Whereas no woman has ever been permitted to run for president by the Council of Guardians; 

Whereas authorities in Iran have announced that nationwide 

elections for the presidency and for municipal councils 

will be held in June 2013; 

Whereas no international election observers are scheduled to 

oversee the June 2013 elections; 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to hold candidates from the 2009 election under 

house arrest and dissidents in indefinite detention; and 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran 

seeks to prevent the people of Iran from accessing news 

and information by incarcerating more journalists than 

any other country in the world, according to a 2011 report from the Committee to Protect Journalists; disrupting access to the Internet, including blocking e-mail 

and social networking sites and limiting access to foreign 

news and Web sites, developing a national Internet that 

will facilitate government censorship of news and information, and jamming international broadcasts such as 

the Voice of America’s Persian News Network and Radio 

Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reaffirms the commitment of the United 

3 States to democracy, human rights, civil liberties, 


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1 and rule of law, including the universal rights of 

2 freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and free3 dom of association; 

4 (2) expresses support for freedom, human 

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

6 elections that are free, fair, and meet international 

7 standards, including granting independent inter8 national and domestic electoral observers unre9 stricted access to polling and counting stations; 

10 (3) expresses strong support for the people of 

11 Iran in their peaceful calls for a representative and 

12 responsive democratic government that respects 

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

14 (4) reminds the Government of the Islamic Re15 public of Iran of its obligations under the inter16 national covenants to which it is a signatory to hold 

17 elections that are free and fair; 

18 (5) condemns the Government of the Islamic 

19 Republic of Iran’s widespread human rights viola20 tions; 

21 (6) calls on the Government of the Islamic Re22 public of Iran to respect freedom of expression and 

23 association in Iran by— 

24 (A) ending arbitrary detention, torture, 

25 and other forms of harassment against media 


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•HRES 252 IH 

1 professionals, human rights defenders and ac2 tivists, and opposition figures, and releasing all 

3 individuals detained for exercising universally 

4 recognized human rights; 

5 (B) lifting regulatory and legislative re6 strictions on freedoms of assembly, association, 

7 and expression; and 

8 (C) allowing the Internet to remain free 

9 and open and allowing domestic and inter10 national media to operate freely; 

11 (7) further calls on the Government of the Is12 lamic Republic of Iran to allow international election 

13 monitors to be present for the June 2013 elections; 

14 and 

15 (8) urges the President, the Secretary of State, 

16 and other world leaders— 

17 (A) to express support for the universal 

18 rights and freedoms of the people of Iran, in19 cluding to democratic self-government; 

20 (B) to broaden engagement with the people 

21 of Iran and support efforts in the country to 

22 help promote human rights and democratic re23 form, including by providing support to civil so24 ciety organizations for democracy and govern25 ance activities; and 


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1 (C) to condemn elections that are not free 

2 and fair and that do not meet international 

3 standards. 

Æ 


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