•HRES 979 IH 
Whereas Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has confirmed that 
in 2018, the Iranian regime has imprisoned ‘‘hundreds of 
Sufi dervishes, dozens of environmentalists, 400 Ahwazis, 
[and] 30 Isfahan farmers’’, in addition to over 5,000 peo-
ple arrested during January 2018 nationwide protests; 
Whereas through the chants of ‘‘Our enemy is right here, 
they lie when they say it’s America.’’, the Iranian peoples 
have undermined the Iranian regime’s attempts to por-
tray international support for the people of Iran as either 
interference in Iranian affairs or warmongering; 
Whereas these protests have continued in the ensuing months 
in Ahvaz (southwest), Kazerun (south), and Isfahan (cen-
tral Iran), leading to the nationwide strike by more than 
500,000 truck drivers and owners in 280 cities and in all 
31 provinces, prompted by numerous economic, social 
and political grievances, including the lack of basic free-
doms, institutionalized government corruption, economic 
mismanagement, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard 
Corps’ (IRGC) control of the lion’s share of the country’s 
economy; 
Whereas protesters have rejected the regime’s costly, desta-
bilizing activities abroad, including its support for the re-
gime in Syria and terrorist groups such as Al-Hashd Al- 
Sha’abi in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon, manifested in 
the chants of ‘‘Leave Syria alone, think of us.’’, and 
‘‘Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for 
Iran.’’; 
Whereas with chants of ‘‘Down with Khamenei, down with 
Rouhani.’’ and ‘‘Reformers, hardliners, the game is now 
over.’’, the Iranian people have demonstrated their rejec-
tion of the theocratic regime in its entirety; 
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•HRES 979 IH 
Whereas, on December 29, 2017, the Department of State 
strongly condemned the arrest of peaceful protesters and 
noted that ‘‘Iran’s leaders have turned a wealthy country 
with a rich history and culture into an economically de-
pleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, blood-
shed, and chaos.’’; 
Whereas, on January 2, 2018, the French Foreign Ministry 
stated that ‘‘French authorities are closely monitoring 
the situation in Iran. Demonstrating freely is a funda-
mental right. The same is true for the free movement of 
information. France expresses its concern over the large 
number of victims and arrests.’’; 
Whereas IRGC and its Basij militia have been sanctioned by 
the United States for planning and carrying out serious 
human rights abuses against the Iranian people, includ-
ing for the cruel and prolonged torture of political dis-
sidents; 
Whereas the House of Representatives, through H.R. 4744, 
has expressed support for ‘‘efforts made by the peoples 
of Iran to promote the establishment of basic freedoms 
that build the foundation for the emergence of a freely 
elected, open, non-corrupt and democratic political sys-
tem’’; 
Whereas a free and democratic Iran will recognize the rights 
and sovereignty of all countries of the region, non-inter-
ference in their affairs of neighboring countries, and es-
tablishing political, economic, and cultural relations based 
on peaceful coexistence with all countries of the Middle 
East and the world; 
Whereas a free and democratic Iran will seek equal political 
participation by all Iranians from all ethnic and religious 
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•HRES 979 IH 
groups, including Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Lurs, 
Persians, Qashqai, Turkemans, and others; 
Whereas an inclusive and broad-based dialogue process, that 
includes representatives from all ethnic and religious 
groups, would work to agree on the new Constitution of 
a free and decentralized democratic Iran; 
Whereas Iranian opposition groups have called for universal 
suffrage and free elections, and advocate gender, religious 
and ethnic equality, adherence to market economy prin-
ciples and the establishment of a decentralized republic 
based on separation of religion and state and a non-nu-
clear Iran; 
Whereas these plans commit a free and democratic Iran to 
the abolition of Sharia Law, the death penalty, a foreign 
policy based on peaceful coexistence, international and re-
gional peace and cooperation; and 
Whereas the plan recognizes that the ballot box is the only 
criterion for legitimacy, and accordingly it seeks a repub-
lic based on universal suffrage: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) stands with the people of Iran who are en-
gaged in continuing, legitimate and peaceful protests 
against an oppressive, corrupt regime; 
(2) condemns the Iranian regime’s egregious 
human rights abuses against the Iranian people, in-
stitutional corruption, destabilizing activities abroad, 
and the failure to abide by its international conven-
tions and obligations; and 
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•HRES 979 IH 
(3) supports efforts by the Iranian people and 
opposition movements who support a democratic, 
secular, non-nuclear republic form of government in 
Iran, and promote the establishment of basic free-
doms and a democratic political system in which free 
and fair elections under universal suffrage would 
serve as the only legitimate path to political power. 
Æ 
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