WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, today introduced a resolution, S. Res. 539, that decries the Iranian government’s recent violent crackdown on protestors ? in which hundreds were killed and thousands arrested ? and supports the rights of the people of Iran to determine their own future. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) are original co-sponsors of the measure.
The new legislation recounts Iran’s repeated instances of gross violations of human rights, from using live ammunition on unarmed civilians to planning assassinations on dissidents abroad, and also details the Iranian government’s efforts to shut down internet access and the ability of its citizens to freely and peacefully assemble.
Senator Cardin’s resolution “stands with the people of Iran that are engaged in legitimate protests against an oppressive, corrupt regime [and] supports the right of Iranians to peacefully assemble, without fear of persecution and violence, whether in Iran or internationally.”
The resolution also “supports efforts by the people of Iran to promote the establishment of basic freedoms that build the foundation for the emergence of a freely elected and transparent republic.”
“This resolution is intended to issue a clear show of support for the people of Iran who are peacefully trying to improve their country,” said Senator Cardin. “They need to know that we stand with them and believe that they deserve to live in a free society where they can exercise their fundamental freedoms.”
“This resolution also calls upon U.S. and world leaders to send a clear signal through future multilateral and bilateral discussion that the Iranian government’s human rights violations are unacceptable,” said Senator Cardin. “Standing with the people of Iran as they engage in peaceful protests is not part of a partisan platform. It is simply the right thing to do.”
The full resolution (S. Res. 539) can be downloaded here.
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