[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 69 (Thursday, May 7, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S2732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 16--STATING THE POLICY OF THE UNITED 
     STATES REGARDING THE RELEASE OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS IN IRAN

  Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Rubio, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Blunt, 
Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Peters, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Cruz, Mr. 
Isakson, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted the following concurrent 
resolution; which was placed on the calendar:

                            S. Con. Res. 16

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON RELEASE OF UNITED STATES 
                   CITIZENS IN IRAN.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Saeed Abedini of Idaho is a Christian pastor unjustly 
     detained in Iran since 2012 and sentenced to eight years in 
     prison on charges related to his religious beliefs.
       (2) Amir Hekmati of Michigan is a former United States 
     Marine unjustly detained in 2011 while visiting his Iranian 
     relatives and sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage.
       (3) Jason Rezaian of California is a Washington Post 
     journalist credentialed by the Government of Iran. He was 
     unjustly detained in 2014 and has been held without a trial.
       (4) Robert Levinson of Florida is a former Federal Bureau 
     of Investigations (FBI) official who disappeared in 2007 in 
     Iran. He is the longest held United States citizen in United 
     States history.
       (b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United 
     States that--
       (1) the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran should 
     immediately release Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati, and Jason 
     Rezaian, and cooperate with the United States Government to 
     locate and return Robert Levinson; and
       (2) the United States Government should undertake every 
     effort using every diplomatic tool at its disposal to secure 
     their immediate release.

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