III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 73 

Supporting democracy, universal rights, and the Iranian people in their 

peaceful call for a representative and responsive democratic government. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 17, 2011 

Mr. KIRK (for himself, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. KYL, Mr. CASEY, Mr. NELSON of 

Florida, Mr. GRAHAM, and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting democracy, universal rights, and the Iranian people in their peaceful call for a representative and responsive democratic government. 

Whereas, on February 5, 2011, Mir Hossein Moussavi and 

Mehdi Karroubi requested permission from the Government of Iran to hold a peaceful demonstration on February 14, 2011; 

Whereas Moussavi and Karroubi wrote, ‘‘In order to declare 

support for the popular movements in the region, particularly with those of the freedom seeking movements of the 

people of Egypt and Tunisia against dictatorships, we request a permit to invite the people for a rally.’’; 

Whereas the Government of Iran denied this request and, on 

February 9, 2011, Revolutionary Guard Commander 


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•SRES 73 ATS 

Hossein Hamedani said, ‘‘We definitely see them as enemies of the revolution and spies, and we will confront 

them with force.’’; 

Whereas, before the planned protest on February 14, 2011, 

the Government of Iran placed Mehdi Karroubi and Mir 

Hossein Moussavi under house arrest and interrupted 

Internet, text message, satellite, and cell phone service inside Iran; 

Whereas, on February 14, 2011, the people of Iran held demonstrations protesting the Iranian regime in Tehran, 

Rasht, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and 

Ahwaz; 

Whereas, on February 15, 2011, members of the parliament 

of Iran called for the execution of opposition leaders Mir 

Hossein Moussavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Mohammad 

Khatami; 

Whereas, on the same day, speaker of the Parliament in Iran 

Ali Larijani said, ‘‘The parliament condemns the Zionist, 

American, anti-revolutionary and anti-national actions of 

the misled seditionists.’’; 

Whereas, on February 14, 2011, Secretary of State Hillary 

Clinton said, ‘‘What you see happening in Iran today is 

a testament to the courage of the Iranian people and an 

indictment of the hypocrisy of the Iranian regime, a regime which over the last three weeks has constantly 

hailed what went on in Egypt. And now when given the 

opportunity to afford their people the same rights as they 

called for on behalf of the Egyptian people, once again, 

illustrate their true nature.’’; 

Whereas, on February 15, 2011, President Barack Obama 

saluted the ‘‘courage’’ of the Iranian people and said, 


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•SRES 73 ATS 

‘‘We are going to continue to see the people of Iran have 

the courage to be able to express their yearning for greater freedoms and a more representative government.’’; 

Whereas, on February 15, 2011, European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton called ‘‘on the Iranian authorities to fully respect and protect the rights of their 

citizens, including freedom of expression and the right to 

assemble peacefully’’; 

Whereas, on February 3, 2011, the Senate passed Senate 

Resolution 44, 112th Congress, reaffirming the commitment of the United States to the universal rights of freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and freedom of access to information, including the Internet, and expressed 

strong support for the people of Egypt in their peaceful 

calls for a representative and responsive democratic government that respects these rights; and 

Whereas the people of Iran also deserve support from the 

United States in their peaceful struggle for a representative and responsive democratic government that respects 

their universal rights of freedom of assembly, freedom of 

speech, and freedom of association, including via the 

Internet: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the ongoing violence against dem3 onstrators by the Government of Iran and pro-gov4 ernment militias, as well as the ongoing government 

5 suppression of independent electronic communication 

6 through interference with the Internet and 

7 cellphones; 


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•SRES 73 ATS 

1 (2) reaffirms the commitment of the United 

2 States to the universal rights of freedom of assem3 bly, freedom of speech, and freedom of association, 

4 including via the Internet; 

5 (3) expresses strong support for the people of 

6 Iran in their peaceful calls for a representative and 

7 responsive democratic government that respects 

8 these rights; 

9 (4) calls on the Government of Iran to release 

10 all Iranians detained or imprisoned solely on the 

11 basis of their religion, faith, ethnicity, race, gender, 

12 sexual orientation, or political belief; 

13 (5) calls on the United Nations Human Rights 

14 Council to establish an independent human rights 

15 monitor for Iran; and 

16 (6) affirms the universality of individual rights 

17 and the importance of democratic and fair elections. 

Æ 


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