,,iii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #baf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #aj1 #bjag ,mr4 ,cruz submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,calling on the ,government of ,iran to release unjustly detained ,united ,states citizens and legal permanent resident aliens1 and for other purposes4 ,whereas the ,islamic ,revolutionary ,guard ,corps 7,,irgc7 of ,iran has taken as hostages several ,united ,states citizens1 including ,siamak and ,baquer ,namazi1 as well as ,united ,states legal permanent resident alien ,nizar ,zakka2 ,whereas ,siamak ,namazi was detained on ,october #ae1 #bjae1 falsely accused and convicted on ,october #ah1 #bjaf1 for collaborating with a hostile government1 and has been held for extended periods in solitary confinement and under constant interrogation2 ,whereas former ,united ,nations ,children's ,emergency ,fund 7,,unicef7 official ,baquer ,namazi1 the #hj-year old father of ,siamak ,namazi1 was detained on ,february #bb1 #bjaf1 falsely accused and convicted to #aj years in prison for the identical crime as his son2 ,whereas former ,secretary-,general of the ,united ,nations ,ban ,ki-moon urged authorities in ,iran to release ,baquer ,namazi1 whose health status is deteriorating1 to allow his family to care for him2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,children's ,emergency ,fund 7,,unicef7 has issued #d public statements on ,baquer ,namazi's behalf2 ,whereas ,robert ,levinson1 a ,united ,states citizen and retired agent of the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation1 traveled to ,kish ,island1 ,iran1 and disappeared on ,march #i1 #bjjg2 ,whereas1 according to ,white ,house ,press ,secretary ,josh ,earnest1 the ,united ,states ,government had secured a commitment from the ,iranians ''' to try and gather information about ,mr4 ,levinson's possible whereabouts but has not received any information thus far2 ,whereas ,nizar ,zakka1 a ,united ,states legal permanent resident alien and ,lebanese national1 who is also in a weakened physical state1 was unlawfully detained around ,september #ah1 #bjae1 after presenting at a conference in ,iran at the invitation of ,iran1 and was later falsely charged with being a spy and sentenced to #aj years at the ,evin prison in ,iran2 ,whereas1 on ,april #ac1 #bjag1 the ,united ,states ,department of the ,treasury sanctioned the ,tehran ,prisons ,organization and its former head1 ,sohrab ,soleimani1 and ,white ,house ,press ,secretary ,sean ,spicer noted that the sanctions against human rights abusers in ,iran's prisons come at a time when ,iran continues to unjustly detain in its prisons various foreigners1 including ,u4,s4 citizens ,siamak ,namazi and ,baquer ,namazi2 ,whereas1 on ,april #be1 #bjag1 at the meeting of the ,joint ,commission overseeing implementation of the ,joint ,comprehensive ,plan of ,action1 the ,department of ,state reported that the ,united ,states delegation had raised with the ,iranian delegation its serious concerns regarding the cases of ,u4,s4 citizens detained and missing in ,iran1 and called on ,iran to immediately release these ,u4,s4 citizens so they can be reunited with their families2 ,whereas elements of the ,iranian regime are reportedly using nationals and dual-nationals from the ,united ,states1 ,canada1 the ,united ,kingdom1 ,france1 ,germany1 and other countries to exact political or financial concessions2 and ,whereas reports indicate that the ,government of ,iran is seeking additional payments or other concessions1 including relief from economic sanctions1 from the families and governments of hostages as a condition of release1 which is a practice banned by the ,international ,convention ,against the ,taking of ,hostages1 adopted by the ,general ,assembly of the ,united ,nations on ,december #ag1 #aigi1 and other international legal norms3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 calls on the ,government of the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran to release unconditionally ,siamak ,namazi1 ,baquer ,namazi1 ,nizar ,zakka1 and any other ,united ,states citizen1 legal permanent resident alien1 or foreign national being unjustly detained in ,iran2 7#b7 urges the ,president to make the release of ,united ,states citizens and legal permanent resident aliens held hostage by the ,government of ,iran the highest of priorities2 7#c7 requests that the ,united ,states and its allies whose nationals have been detained consider establishing a multinational task force to secure the release of the detainees2 7#d7 urges the ,government of ,iran to take meaningful steps toward fulfilling its repeated promises to assist in locating and returning ,robert ,levinson1 including immediately providing all available information from all entities of the ,government of ,iran regarding the disappearance of ,robert ,levinson to the ,united ,states ,government2 7#e7 encourages the ,president to take meaningful action to secure the release of ,siamak ,namazi1 ,baquer ,namazi1 ,nizar ,zakka1 and any other ,united ,states citizen1 legal permanent resident alien1 or foreign national being unjustly detained in ,iran if the ,government of ,iran does not release such ,united ,states citizens1 legal permanent resident aliens1 and foreign nationals2 and 7#f7 encourages the ,president to take meaningful action to secure the return of ,robert ,levinson if the ,government of ,iran does not locate and return him4