[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 791 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 791

  Condemning the actions of the Government of Iran and supporting the 
protesters in Iran, their demands for accountability, and their desire 
    for the Government of Iran to respect freedom and human rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2020

Mr. McCarthy submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

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                               RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning the actions of the Government of Iran and supporting the 
protesters in Iran, their demands for accountability, and their desire 
    for the Government of Iran to respect freedom and human rights.

Whereas in November 2019, according to Iranian interior ministry officials who 
        provided details to Reuters, Iranian security forces killed 
        approximately 1,500 demonstrators when they rose up across the country 
        in protest;
Whereas, on January 8, 2020, the Government of Iran shot down Ukraine 
        International Airlines Flight 752, lied about its responsibility, and 
        then admitted to mistakenly shooting the airliner down, killing all 176 
        people on board;
Whereas the aircraft was carrying 167 passengers and nine crewmembers;
Whereas passengers were citizens of Iran, Canada, Ukraine, Great Britain, 
        Germany and Sweden, at least 16 were children under the age of 10, and 
        13 were students and alumni of Sharif University of Technology in 
        Tehran;
Whereas Iran's state news agency initially reported the crash resulted from an 
        engine fire caused by a technical fault;
Whereas Iranian officials repeatedly denied that the flight was shot down by its 
        armed forces;
Whereas, on January 11, 2020, three days after the downing of the flight, the 
        Government of Iran admitted that its armed forces unintentionally shot 
        down the airliner;
Whereas, on January 11, 2020, the Government of Iran arrested the British 
        Ambassador to Iran, in violation of the Vienna Convention, after he 
        attended a vigil for the victims of the downed flight, and he was 
        released hours later;
Whereas, on January 11, 2020, protestors gathered across Iran to denounce what 
        they called lying and incompetence by the country's leadership;
Whereas at Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran, protestors tore down 
        posters of Maj. Gen. Qassem Solemaini;
Whereas, on January 13, 2020, video from inside Iran showed protestors chanting 
        slogans including ``Clerics get lost!'';
Whereas video appears to show Iranian security forces firing live ammunition at 
        protestors and a woman being carried away leaving a trail of blood on 
        the ground as people shout that she has been shot; and
Whereas the President expressed support for ``the brave, long-suffering people 
        of Iran'' and called on the Iranian Government to allow human rights 
        groups to monitor the protests and not to use force on the protestors: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the Government of Iran for killing 
        approximately 1,500 Iranian citizens who were protesting their 
        government;
            (2) condemns the Government of Iran for shooting down 
        Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752;
            (3) condemns the Government of Iran for repeatedly lying to 
        its people and to the world about its responsibility for the 
        downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752;
            (4) calls on the Government of Iran to--
                    (A) refrain from the use of violence; and
                    (B) protect the rights of freedom of expression and 
                peaceful assembly; and
            (5) supports the protestors in Iran, their demands for 
        accountability, and their desire for the Government of Iran to 
        respect freedom and human rights.
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