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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 992 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 992

 Expressing the sense of the House that the Government of the Islamic 
 Republic of Iran should halt the widespread and brutal repression of 
the peaceful reformist protestors, opposition supporters, human rights 
  defenders, students, and journalists following the disputed Iranian 
                presidential election of June 12, 2009.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 16, 2009

   Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself and Mr. Rohrabacher) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the House that the Government of the Islamic 
 Republic of Iran should halt the widespread and brutal repression of 
the peaceful reformist protestors, opposition supporters, human rights 
  defenders, students, and journalists following the disputed Iranian 
                presidential election of June 12, 2009.

Whereas the international community has witnessed through thousands of mobile 
        phone videos broadcast worldwide the widespread, unprovoked violence and 
        acts of murder perpetrated by Iranian authorities against unarmed, 
        peaceful protestors in response to the disputed June 12, 2009, 
        presidential election;
Whereas according to Human Rights Watch reports, Iranian authorities have 
        blocked or interrupted Internet-based communications, disrupted mobile 
        phone and text messaging networks, and imposed severe censorship on 
        websites and the domestic press;
Whereas article 3 of the Constitution of Iran obliges the government to 
        eliminate all forms of despotism and autocracy and all attempts to 
        monopolize power, to ensure political and social freedoms within the 
        framework of the law, secure the rights of all citizens, both women and 
        men, and provide legal protection for all, as well as the equality of 
        all before the law;
Whereas article 20 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran protects 
        the rights of all citizens of the country, both men and women, to equal 
        protection under the law and provides all human, political, economic, 
        social, and cultural rights;
Whereas Iran, a signatory (April 1968) of the International Covenant on Civil 
        and Political Rights (ICCPR) which it ratified in June 1975, is bound by 
        international human rights law to recognize and protect human rights, 
        including peaceful assembly and freedom of association;
Whereas the Government of Iran, in violation of its own constitution and the 
        International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as reported by 
        Human Rights Watch, continues to employ violence repeatedly to prevent 
        its citizens from peacefully assembling and conducting demonstrations, 
        and continues to arrest and detain reformist politicians and clerics, 
        students, journalists, reformist party officials, and human rights 
        activists;
Whereas the Government of Iran still has taken no steps to bring to justice the 
        murderers of Neda Agha-Soltan and others who were shot dead as a result 
        of clashes between Iranian security forces and unarmed, peaceful 
        protestors;
Whereas peaceful Iranian protestors, at great personal risk, continue to call on 
        the United States by name to support them;
Whereas the United States has a longstanding commitment to human rights and 
        justice; and
Whereas the people of the United States do not believe in supporting repressive 
        dictatorships: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns in the strongest terms the gross abuses of the 
        rights of the citizens of Iran by the Government of Islamic 
        Republic of Iran and calls on the government immediately to 
        honor its obligations under its own constitution and 
        International Human Rights Laws;
            (2) supports without reservation the rights of Iranian 
        citizens to peacefully protest and petition their government to 
        address their legitimate grievances; and
            (3) urges the Government of Iran to release immediately all 
        those peaceful protestors and opposition supporters it has 
        detained, stop the harassment and violent acts against these 
        Iranian citizens committed by security forces and the Basij 
        militias, and bring to justice the government authorities 
        responsible for perpetrating the unlawful acts of violence.
                                 <all>
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