U.S. House of Representatives Resolution
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a resolution in support of the nationwide uprising in Iran. House Resolution 752 also called on the White House to request that the U.N. Security Council and Human Rights Council call an emergency session to condemn the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters.
H.R. 752, “Supporting the rights of the people of Iran to free expression, condemning the Iranian regime for its crackdown on legitimate protests, and for other purposes,” was introduced by Rep. Theodore E. Deutch (D-FL) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC).
U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Resolution Condemning Crackdown on #IranProtests https://t.co/NyNdH5Wrcy#FreeIran #StopIranBloodshed #FreeAllProtesters
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 11, 2019
The November Uprising
The resolution summarizes the atrocities committed by the Iranian regime during the November Uprising, which began on November 15th after the regime announced a massive price hike on gasoline and quickly spread to 190 cities around the country.
The resolution stated that security forces killed hundreds of protesters and arrested thousands and noted that the Iranian government has, “in many instances, refused to return victims’ bodies to their families and that security forces have removed bodies from morgues and transferred them to unknown locations.”
MEK: #IranProtests continue since 15th November https://t.co/EJ3fS8nbPy#Iran #MEK #StopIranBloodshed @USAdarFarsi
— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) December 11, 2019
The resolution discussed the Internet blackout imposed by the regime during the height of the uprising, and it described the massacre in Mahshahr in which 100 people were killed by Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) troops.
Past Actions
The resolution detailed the Iranian regime’s past acts of suppression and human rights violations as well, citing the June 2018 terrorist plot against MEK supporters at the Free Iran gathering outside of Paris.
The resolution also cited the 1988 Massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, most of whom were MEK members, “for refusing to renounce their political affiliations and in some cases for possessing political reading material, including prisoners of conscience, teenagers, and pregnant women.”
Iran’s 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners is an “ongoing crime against humanity”. 31 years on, the perpetrators are in government & families of victims continue to be tormented. It’s high time for @UNHumanRights to investigate the #1988Massacre.https://t.co/kewzyevVYM pic.twitter.com/wrlDs8gOZM
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 2, 2019
Finally, the resolution cited the 2017/2018 Uprisings that led to thousands of arrests and at least 25 deaths, though the actual number is much higher.
Resolution
The text resolves that the House of Representatives:
- stands with the Iranian people who are legitimately and peacefully protesting against an oppressive and corrupt regime;
- condemns the regime’s human rights violations against its people, its corruption, and its malign activities outside of its borders;
- applauds the statements of support for the protesters from the executive branch and key allies;
- calls on democratic governments and institutions to support the right of the Iranian people to live in a free society;
- demands that the Iranian regime comply with its obligations under international law with respect to human rights and civil liberties, including freedoms of assembly, speech, and press;
- urges the White House to seek to convene emergency sessions of the U.N. Security Council and Human Rights Council to condemn the human rights violations currently being perpetrated by the Iranian regime and to establish a method by which to monitor further violations;
- encourages the White House to expedite the license of communications technology to Iran to facilitate the ability of the Iranian people to speak without being censored, monitored, or blocked;
- calls on companies to reject requests from the regime to deny or shut off the Iranian people’s access to the Internet, social media, and other communication platforms;
- respects the history and culture of the Iranian people and supports the Iranian people’s efforts to establish basic freedoms that build a foundation for a freely elected, open, and democratic political system;
- supports the right of Iranian dissidents, (such as the MEK), to gather without fear of persecution or violence, at home or abroad; and
- urges President Trump and Secretary Pompeo to work with the international community to ensure that human rights violations are included in all discussions with and about Iran.
U.S. House of Representatives Resolution