H. Res. 676 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
January 9, 2018. 
Whereas, on December 28, 2017, popular protests against 
the Iranian regime began in the city of Mashad and rap-
idly spread throughout the country, in the most signifi-
cant anti-government protests in Iran since June 2009; 
Whereas the protesters have expressed numerous economic 
grievances, including the regime’s widespread corruption 
and the Revolutionary Guard Corps’ control of the coun-
try’s economy; 
Whereas protesters have decried the regime’s costly, desta-
bilizing activities abroad, including its support for ter-
rorist groups such as Hezbollah and the murderous 
Assad regime in Syria; 
Whereas reports indicate that more than 1,000 Iranians have 
been arrested and almost two dozen killed in connection 
with the protests; 
Whereas the Iranian regime has shut down mobile internet 
access and has blocked and pressured companies to cut 
off social media applications used by activists to organize 
and publicize the protests; 
Whereas Congress has provided authority to license the provi-
sion of communications technology to Iran to improve the 
ability of the Iranian people to speak freely;
•HRES 676 EH 
Whereas, on January 1, 2018, regime officials threatened to 
crack down, with Brigadier General Esmaeil Kowsari of 
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps stating, ‘‘If this situa-
tion continues, the officials will definitely make some de-
cisions and at that point this business will be finished.’’; 
Whereas Congress has provided authority to designate and 
sanction elements of the Iranian regime involved in sig-
nificant corruption and serious human rights abuses; 
Whereas Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij mi-
litia have been sanctioned by the United States for plan-
ning and carrying out serious human rights abuses 
against the Iranian people, including for the cruel and 
prolonged torture of political dissidents; 
Whereas the regime has routinely violated the human rights 
of Iranian citizens, including ongoing, systematic, and se-
rious restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly and as-
sociation and freedom of opinion and expression, includ-
ing the continuing closures of media outlets, arrests of 
journalists, and the censorship of expression in online fo-
rums such as blogs and websites; 
Whereas the Department of State’s 2016 Human Rights Re-
port on Iran noted ‘‘severe restrictions on civil liberties, 
including the freedoms of assembly, association, speech, 
religion, and press. Other human rights problems in-
cluded abuse of due process combined with use of capital 
punishment for crimes that do not meet the requirements 
of due process, as well as cruel, inhuman, or degrading 
treatment or punishment; and disregard for the physical 
integrity of persons, whom authorities arbitrarily and un-
lawfully detained, tortured, or killed.’’;
•HRES 676 EH 
Whereas, in violation of these and other international obliga-
tions, Iranian regime officials continue to violate the fun-
damental human rights of the Iranian people: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) stands with the people of Iran that are engaged 
in legitimate and peaceful protests against an oppressive, 
corrupt regime; 
(2) condemns the Iranian regime’s serious human 
rights abuses against the Iranian people, significant cor-
ruption, and destabilizing activities abroad; 
(3) notes the statements of support for the 
protestors from key allies and calls on all democratic 
governments and institutions to clearly support the Ira-
nian people’s right to live in a free society; 
(4) demands that the Iranian regime abide by its 
international obligations with respect to human rights 
and civil liberties, including freedoms of assembly, 
speech, and press; 
(5) urges the Administration to use targeted sanc-
tions and work to convene emergency sessions of the 
United Nations Security Council and the United Nations 
Human Rights Council to condemn the ongoing human 
rights violations perpetrated by the Iranian regime and 
establish a mechanism by which the Security Council can 
monitor such violations;
•HRES 676 EH 
(6) encourages the Administration to expedite the 
license of communications technology to Iran to improve 
the ability of the Iranian people to speak freely; 
(7) calls on companies to reject requests by the re-
gime to cut off the Iranian people from social media and 
other communications platforms; 
(8) respects the proud history and rich culture of 
the Iranian nation and fully supports efforts by the peo-
ple of Iran to promote the establishment of basic free-
doms that build the foundation for the emergence of a 
freely elected, open, and democratic political system; and 
(9) urges the President and the Secretary of State 
to work with the international community to ensure that 
violations of human rights are part of all formal and in-
formal multilateral or bilateral discussions with and re-
garding Iran. 
Attest: 
Clerk.