; Whereas with chants of Down with Khamenei, down with Rouhani. and Reformers, hardliners, the game is now over. , the Iranian people have demonstrated their rejection of the theocratic regime in its entirety; 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 depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, 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 fundamental 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, including for the cruel and prolonged torture of political dissidents; 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 system ; Whereas a free and democratic Iran will recognize the rights and sovereignty of all countries of the region, non-interference in their affairs of neighboring countries, and establishing 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 groups, including Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Lurs, Persians, Qashqai, Turkemans, and others