A resolution condemning the Government of Iran for its suppression of the right of Iranians to peacefully assemble.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 606 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 606

 Condemning the Government of Iran for its suppression of the right of 
                    Iranians to peacefully assemble.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 11, 2026

Mr. Lankford (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Booker, Mr. Boozman, Mrs. 
  Britt, Mr. Budd, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Cruz, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. 
Fischer, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Mullin, 
Mr. Ricketts, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
McConnell, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Kim, and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the Government of Iran for its suppression of the right of 
                    Iranians to peacefully assemble.

Whereas, on December 28, 2025, protests began in Iran in response to enduring 
        economic hardship;
Whereas, in December 2025, the annual inflation rate in Iran reached 42.2 
        percent;
Whereas, on December 29, 2025, the Iranian rial hit a record low of 1,430,000 
        Iranian rials per one United States dollar, further causing economic 
        strife for everyday Iranians;
Whereas the protests have spread throughout Iran's capital of Tehran, all 31 
        provinces of Iran, and at least 100 other cities and towns nationwide in 
        the country's largest protests since 2022;
Whereas the first deaths were recorded on January 1, 2026, when at least seven 
        protestors were shot and killed;
Whereas, on January 3, 2026, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that 
        ``rioters must be put in their place;''
Whereas, beginning on January 8, 2026, the Iranian regime implemented near-total 
        internet blackouts across the country, including both intranet access 
        and external internet access as well as cellular services;
Whereas the Iranian regime uses censorship and internet blackouts as a tool of 
        repression against the Iranian people;
Whereas the United States has long supported tools to ensure Iranians have 
        access to the means to circumvent the censorship of the regime and 
        access to news and information free of the regime's interference, 
        including through the Open Technology Fund, Radio Farda, and the Middle 
        East Broadcasting Networks;
Whereas, on January 10, 2026, the Attorney General of Iran, Mohammad Movahedi 
        Azad, said that anyone taking part in protests and those who ``helped 
        rioters'' would be considered an ``enemy of God,'' a capital offense in 
        Iran;
Whereas, as of February 10, 2026, there have been at least 6,126 deaths, with 
        credible reporting of up to 30,000 deaths, including 86 children and 49 
        civilians who were not demonstrating, and 41,800 arrests of protestors 
        have been reported;
Whereas hospitals, medical centers, and morgues have been overwhelmed with 
        injured and dead protestors;
Whereas medical professionals inside Iran have reported receiving hundreds of 
        patients who were injured by live rounds of ammunition from security 
        forces;
Whereas Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds ultimate authority over 
        Iran's security agencies and has overseen and orchestrated countless 
        human rights violations against Iranian citizens and dissidents since 
        1989;
Whereas the Iranian regime has used its security forces to crack down on 
        protests through violent means, including through extrajudicial 
        killings--

    (1) in 1999, when at least three students were killed, several students 
disappeared, and at least 1,500 people were arrested following passage by 
the Iranian Parliament of censorship legislation and the subsequent closure 
of a reformist newspaper;

    (2) in 2009, when dozens of people were killed and opposition 
candidates were arrested following protests over fraudulent elections;

    (3) in 2017, when protests began as a result of increasing food prices 
and the deepening economic crisis, resulting in 20 deaths and hundreds of 
arrests;

    (4) in 2019, when Iranian security forces killed approximately 1,500 
people and detained 8,600 in response to protests over fuel; and

    (5) in 2022, when more than 500 protestors were killed and 22,000 were 
detained after Mahsa Amini died while in the custody of the Morality Police 
after being detained for wearing a hijab ``improperly,'' prompting 
thousands of women to lead the Women, Life, Freedom effort in the streets 
of Iran;

Whereas the regime has a history of disproportionately cracking down on 
        religious and ethnic minorities, including Christians, Baha'is, 
        Zoroastrians, Jews, Sunnis, agnostics and Kurds;
Whereas Iranian civilians' unprecedented nationwide protests and bravery, 
        confronted with the regime's unprecedented widespread extrajudicial 
        killing of thousands and disruption of all electronic communication, 
        have profoundly destabilized the country and constitute changed 
        conditions in Iran;
Whereas the regime continues to persecute citizens who it disagrees with by 
        using criminal statutes like ``insulting the Prophet,'' ``insulting 
        Islam,'' ``rebellion against God,'' and ``corruption on earth;''
Whereas the Government of Iran continues to attempt to suppress protestors, 
        including through means of--

    (1) extrajudicial killings;

    (2) forced disappearances;

    (3) torture;

    (4) sexual and gender-based violence;

    (5) arbitrary detention and imprisonment;

    (6) severe restrictions on free expression;

    (7) internet blackouts, censorship, and prohibition of virtual private 
networks;

    (8) criminalization of libel; and

    (9) severe restrictions of religious freedom; and

Whereas the people of Iran have continued to fight for their basic human rights 
        in the face of violence and oppression: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) strongly condemns the Government of Iran's continued 
        killing of protestors and bystanders;
            (2) condemns the Government of Iran for its suppression of 
        Iranians' basic human rights, including their right to 
        peacefully assemble;
            (3) commends the courage of the Iranian people to protest 
        amid increased and harsh persecution from the Government of 
        Iran;
            (4) calls on the Government of Iran to hold free and fair 
        elections and allow the people of Iran to determine their own 
        future; and
            (5) supports the calls of the Iranian people to bring human 
        rights violators to justice.
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