IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1181 

Calling on the United Nations General Assembly to reject the Islamic Republic 

of Iran’s bid to join the United Nations Human Rights Council. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 12, 2010 

Mr. MCCOTTER (for himself and Mr. POE of Texas) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the United Nations General Assembly to reject 

the Islamic Republic of Iran’s bid to join the United 

Nations Human Rights Council. 

Whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran is broadly considered 

one of the world’s worst human rights violators; 

Whereas Iran routinely discriminates against and persecutes 

its Sunni and Sufi religious minorities as well as Iranian 

Shi’ite religious dissenters; 

Whereas, since 1979, the Iranian regime officials have executed over 200 Baha’i leaders and imposed numerous discriminatory policies to disenfranchise its Baha’i citizens; 

Whereas the Iranian regime continues to officially incite antiSemitic hatred, promote Holocaust denial through its 

state-controlled media, require Jewish schools remain 


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•HRES 1181 IH 

open on the Sabbath, and create a climate of hostility 

and intimidation for Iranian Jews; 

Whereas the Iranian regime regularly harasses, physically attacks, arrests, and imprisons its Christian citizens; 

Whereas the Iranian regime uses intimidation, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, and prolonged detainment to ensure its Arab, Azeri, Baluchi, Kurdish, and Turkmen minorities remain politically and economically marginalized; 

Whereas the Iranian regime specially singles out Iranian 

human rights defenders for arrest, imprisonment, and 

execution; 

Whereas the Iranian regime continues to repress dissent by 

restricting access to the Internet, banning newspapers 

and journals, expelling pro-reform students from universities, and prosecuting critical journalists; 

Whereas the Iranian regime uses government-controlled Islamic Labor Councils to discourage Iranian workers from 

forming free and independent labor unions and to prevent 

Iranian workers from engaging in independent collective 

bargaining; 

Whereas the Iranian regime has repeatedly resorted to forced 

retirement, physical violence, and arbitrary arrest to respond to striking Iranian workers; 

Whereas Iranian Revolutionary Courts conduct secret and 

summary trials, some lasting only five minutes in duration; 

Whereas the Iranian regime subjects its citizens to degrading 

and cruel punishments such as flogging and amputation 

of limbs; 


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•HRES 1181 IH 

Whereas the Iranian regime uses the charges of ‘‘waging war 

against God’’ and ‘‘spreading corruption on earth’’ as a 

pretense for executing Iranian dissidents and prisoners of 

conscience; 

Whereas Iranian regime officials routinely engage in tortures 

such as beatings, long confinement in contorted positions, 

cigarette burns, hanging detainees by their arms or legs, 

striking the soles of feet, rape, and smearing prisoners 

with feces; 

Whereas, during the protests following the disputed June 12, 

2009, Iranian Presidential election, the Iranian regime 

and its paramilitary units fired upon and killed Iranian 

citizens with live ammunition; 

Whereas, during one of these protests on June 20, 2009, the 

pro-democracy demonstrator Neda Agha-Soltan was shot 

and killed by a member of the government paramilitary; 

Whereas the young Iranian woman, Taraneh Mousavi, was 

thrown in prison without a warrant, raped, tortured, and 

burned, with her remains being discarded on the side of 

the road; 

Whereas, in June 2009, at least 40 Iranian civilians were 

murdered by the Iranian regime’s post-election crackdown; 

Whereas, after the disputed June 12, 2009, Iranian Presidential election, the Iranian regime carried out a campaign of repression with mass arrests of at least 4,000 

protestors and dissidents which produced numerous torture-induced confessions; 

Whereas, in January 2010, two of these dissidents, Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour, were executed by hanging for their opposition activism; 


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•HRES 1181 IH 

Whereas, in Iran’s November 18, 2009, National Report submitted for the Seventh Session of the United Nations 

Human Rights Council, Iran admitted it is unable to uphold human rights standards because its legal structures 

are based on principles of Islam; 

Whereas, in this same report, Iran affirmed its inability to 

function as an international human rights promoter in 

stating, ‘‘Pressure or demands by other countries to accept and adopt certain Western standards of human 

rights will practically have[sic] negative impact on the 

promotion of human rights.’’; 

Whereas Iran is a 2010 candidate for United Nations Human 

Rights Council membership; and 

Whereas Iran’s election to the United Nations Human Rights 

Council would send a demoralizing message of indifference to Iranian citizens that have endured repression, arbitrary arrest, physical assault, and torture in their 

struggle to obtain their God-given human rights: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the United Nations General Assem3 bly to reject the Islamic Republic of Iran’s bid to 

4 join the United Nations Human Rights Council; and 

5 (2) urges the President to direct the United 

6 States Permanent Representative to the United Na7 tions to use the voice, vote, and influence of the 

8 United States at the United Nations to ensure Iran 


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•HRES 1181 IH 

1 does not gain membership on the United Nations 

2 Human Rights Council. 

Æ 


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