[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 175 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 175

 Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution 
of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International 
                       Covenants on Human Rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2009

    Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Burton of 
Indiana, Mr. Foster, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Wolf, and Mr. Moran of Virginia) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution 
of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International 
                       Covenants on Human Rights.

Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2006, and 2008, 
        Congress declared that it deplored the religious persecution by the 
        Government of Iran of the Baha'i community and would hold the Government 
        of Iran responsible for upholding the rights of all Iranian nationals, 
        including members of the Baha'i faith;
Whereas in November 2007, the Iranian Ministry of Information in Shiraz jailed 
        Baha'is Ms. Raha Sabet, 33; Mr. Sasan Taqva, 32; and Ms. Haleh Roohi, 
        29; for educating underprivileged children and gave them 4-year prison 
        terms, which they are serving;
Whereas Ms. Sabet, Mr. Taqva, and Ms. Rooshi were targeted solely on the basis 
        of their religion;
Whereas, on January 23, 2008, the United States Department of State released a 
        statement urging the Iranian regime to release all individuals held 
        without due process and a fair trial, including the 3 young Baha'is 
        being held in an Iranian Ministry of Intelligence detention center in 
        Shiraz;
Whereas in March and May of 2008, Iranian intelligence officials in Mashhad and 
        Tehran arrested and imprisoned Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin 
        Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. 
        Mahvash Sabet, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, the members of the coordinating 
        group for the Baha'i community in Iran;
Whereas, on February 11, 2009, the deputy prosecutor in Tehran, Mr. Hassan 
        Haddad, announced that those seven leaders will go on trial at a 
        Revolutionary Court the week of February 15, 2009, on charges of 
        ``espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda 
        against the Islamic Republic'';
Whereas the lawyer for these seven leaders, Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel 
        Laureate, has been denied all access to the prisoners and their files;
Whereas these seven Baha'i leaders were targeted solely on the basis of their 
        religion; and
Whereas the Government of Iran is party to the International Covenants on Human 
        Rights: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored 
        persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation 
        of the International Covenants on Human Rights;
            (2) calls on the Government of Iran to immediately release 
        the seven leaders and all other prisoners held solely on 
        account of their religion, including: Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, 
        Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. 
        Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, Ms. 
        Raha Sabet, Mr. Sasan Taqva, and Ms. Haleh Roohi; and
            (3) calls on the President and Secretary of State, in 
        cooperation with the international community, to immediately 
        condemn Iran's continued violation of human rights and demand 
        the immediate release of prisoners held solely on account of 
        their religion, including Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. 
        Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. 
        Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, Ms. 
        Raha Sabet, Mr. Sasan Taqva, and Ms. Haleh Roohi.
                                 <all>