[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 33 (Thursday, March 1, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1205-S1206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 385--CONDEMNING THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN FOR ITS 
     CONTINUED PERSECUTION, IMPRISONMENT, AND SENTENCING OF YOUCEF 
                  NADARKHANI ON THE CHARGE OF APOSTASY

  Mr. VITTER (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Kirk, 
Mr. Blunt, and Mr. Hatch) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 385

       Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human 
     Rights, adopted at Paris December 10, 1948, and the 
     International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted 
     at New York December 16, 1966, recognize that every 
     individual has ``the right to freedom of thought, conscience 
     and religion'', which includes the ``freedom to change his 
     religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community 
     with others and in public or private, to manifest his 
     religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and 
     observance'';
       Whereas Iran is a member of the United Nations and 
     signatory to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
     and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
       Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the 
     situation of human rights in Iran has reported that religious 
     minorities, including Nematullahi Sufi Muslims, Sunnis, 
     Baha'is, and Christians, face human rights violations in 
     Iran;
       Whereas, in recent years, there has been a significant 
     increase in the number of incidents of authorities in Iran 
     raiding religious services, detaining worshipers and 
     religious leaders, and harassing and threatening members of 
     religious minorities;
       Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the 
     situation of human rights

[[Page S1206]]

     in Iran has reported that intelligence officials in Iran are 
     known to threaten Christian converts with arrest and apostasy 
     charges if they do not return to Islam;
       Whereas the Department of State's most recent report on 
     International Religious Freedom, released on September 13, 
     2011, states that Iran's ``laws and policies severely 
     restrict freedom of religion,'' and notes ``government 
     imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination 
     based on religious beliefs'' including ``death sentences for 
     apostasy or evangelism'';
       Whereas, in October 2009, Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian 
     Christian, protested an Iranian law that would impose Islam 
     on his Christian children;
       Whereas, in September 2010, a court in Iran accused Youcef 
     Nadarkhani of abandoning the Islamic faith of his ancestors 
     and condemned him to death for apostasy;
       Whereas the court sentenced Youcef Nadarkhani to death by 
     hanging;
       Whereas, on December 5, 2010, Youcef Nadarkhani appealed 
     his conviction and sentence to the Supreme Revolutionary 
     Court in Qom, Iran, and the court held that if it could be 
     proven that he was a practicing Muslim in adulthood, his 
     death sentence should be carried out unless he recants his 
     Christian faith and adopts Islam;
       Whereas, from September 25 to September 28, 2011, a court 
     in Iran held hearings to determine if Youcef Nadarkhani was a 
     practicing Muslim in adulthood and held that he had abandoned 
     the faith of his ancestors and must be sentenced to death if 
     he does not recant his faith;
       Whereas, on numerous occasions, the judiciary of Iran 
     offered to commute Youcef Nadarkhani's sentence if he would 
     recant his faith;
       Whereas numerous Government of Iran officials have 
     attempted to coerce Youcef Nadarkhani to recant his Christian 
     faith and accept Islam in exchange for his freedom;
       Whereas Youcef Nadarkhani continues to refuse to recant his 
     faith;
       Whereas the Government of Iran continues to indefinitely 
     imprison Youcef Nadarkhani for choosing to practice 
     Christianity; and
       Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the 
     situation of human rights in Iran has reported that, at the 
     time of his report, on October 19, 2011, the Government of 
     Iran had secretly executed 146 people during that calendar 
     year, and in 2010, the Government of Iran secretly executed 
     more than 300 people: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns the Government of Iran for its ongoing and 
     systemic violations of the human rights of the people of 
     Iran, including the state-sponsored persecution of religious 
     minorities in Iran, and its continued failure to uphold its 
     international obligations, including with respect to the 
     Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International 
     Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
       (2) calls for the Government of Iran to exonerate and 
     immediately and unconditionally release Youcef Nadarkhani and 
     all other individuals held or charged on account of their 
     religious or political beliefs;
       (3) calls on the President to designate additional Iranian 
     officials, as appropriate, for human rights abuses pursuant 
     to section 105 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, 
     Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514); 
     and
       (4) reaffirms that freedom of religious belief and practice 
     is a universal human right and a fundamental individual 
     freedom that every government must protect and must never 
     abridge.

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