IV 

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; 


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•HRES 992 IH 

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; 


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•HRES 992 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns in the strongest terms the gross 

3 abuses of the rights of the citizens of Iran by the 

4 Government of Islamic Republic of Iran and calls on 

5 the government immediately to honor its obligations 

6 under its own constitution and International Human 

7 Rights Laws; 

8 (2) supports without reservation the rights of 

9 Iranian citizens to peacefully protest and petition 

10 their government to address their legitimate griev11 ances; and 

12 (3) urges the Government of Iran to release im13 mediately all those peaceful protestors and opposi14 tion supporters it has detained, stop the harassment 

15 and violent acts against these Iranian citizens com16 mitted by security forces and the Basij militias, and 


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•HRES 992 IH 

1 bring to justice the government authorities respon2 sible for perpetrating the unlawful acts of violence. 

Æ 


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