,,iii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #egh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #ad1 #bjbj,mr4 ,wyden 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 and ,mr4 ,boozman7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,condemning the ,government of ,iran's state-sponsored persecution of its ,baha'i minority and its continued violation of the ,international ,covenants on ,human ,rights4 ,whereas in #aihb1 #aihd1 #aihh1 #aiij1 #aiib1 #aiic1 #aiid1 #aiif1 #bjjj1 #bjjd1 #bjjf1 #bjjh1 #bjji1 #bjab1 #bjac1 #bjae1 #bjaf1 #bjag1 and #bjah1 ,congress declared that it-- 7#a7 deplored the religious persecution by the ,government of ,iran of the ,baha'i community2 and 7#b7 would hold the ,government of ,iran responsible for upholding the rights of all ,iranian nationals1 including members of the ,baha'i ,faith2 ,whereas according to the ,united ,states ,commission on ,international ,religious ,freedom's #bjag annual report1 ,since #aigi1 ,iranian authorities have killed or executed more than #bjj ,baha'i leaders1 and more than #aj1jjj ,baha'i have been dismissed from government and university jobs in ,iran2 ,whereas the ,report of the ,united ,nations ,special ,rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran 7,a_/#gd_/ahh71 dated ,july #ah1 #bjai1 provides1 in part-- 7#a7 the ,iranian authorities and the ,iranian criminal justice system regard the ,baha'is as unprotected infidels2 7#b7 the ,baha'i ,faith is regarded as a misguided sect and ,baha'i worship and religious practices are deemed heresy2 7#c7 ,baha'is have been murdered with impunity and violations of their human rights have not been investigated42 7#d7 members of the ,baha'i ,faith frequently face charges such as breaching national security1 propaganda against the holy regime of the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran or propaganda activities against the regime in the interests of the ,baha'i sect2 7#e7 ,since ,august #bjje1 more than #a1afh ,baha'is have been arrested and charged with vaguely worded offences42 7#f7 ,there were a total of #ie ,baha'is reportedly arrested in #bjah1 compared with at least #hd in #bjag and #ha in #bjaf42 7#g7 ,on #a ,january #bjai1 the court of appeal of ,isfahan reportedly condemned1 in separate judgments1 nine ,baha'i citizens to a total of #dh years of prison4 ,they had been charged with membership of the illegal ,baha'i community and propaganda against the regime by spreading the ,baha'i ,faith in the society42 7#h7 ,since #bjjg1 in response to a letter from the ,security ,unit of the ,public ,place ,supervision ,office of the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran to police commanders throughout the country1 ,baha'is have been banned from specific professions1 to halt their entry into high earning businesses2 and 7#i7 ,since #bjac1 there have been more than #hjc incidents of violations of economic rights of the ,baha'is1 including arbitrary shop closures1 unfair dismissals from employment and the actual or threatened revocation of business licenses42 ,whereas the ,iran section of the ,department of ,state's #bjah ,report on ,international ,religious ,freedom provides1 in part-- 7#a7 ,non-,shia ,muslims and those affiliated with a religion other than ,islam1 especially members of the ,baha'i community1 continued to face societal discrimination and harassment1 and employers experienced social pressures not to hire ,baha'is or to dismiss them from their private sector jobs42 and 7#b7 ,the law bars ,baha'is from founding their own educational institutions4 ,a ,ministry of ,science1 ,research1 and ,technology order requires universities to exclude ,baha'is from access to higher education or expel them if their religious affiliation becomes known42 ,whereas1 on ,march #aa1 #bjbj1 the ,department of ,state released the #bjai ,country ,reports on ,human ,rights ,practices1 which provides1 in part-- 7#a7 ,iranian authorities barred ,baha'i students from higher education2 and 7#b7 ,according to a ,baha'i ,international ,community report ,april #bjah1 ,iranian authorities directed authorities in ,houthi-controlled areas of ,yemen to harass and detain ,baha'is because of their religious affiliation2 ,whereas the ,baha'i ,international ,community has documented more than #bf1jjj items of anti-,baha'i propaganda in ,iran's official and semi-official media since ,january #bjad4 ,whereas since #bjai1 the ,government of ,iran has excluded ,baha'is from receiving national identification cards1 which are required for accessing basic everyday necessities1 including obtaining a passport1 making bank transactions1 and getting work permits4 ,whereas the ,iranian ,parliament 7formally known as the ,islamic ,consultative ,assembly7 is considering a bill to amend ,articles #dii and #ejj of ,book #e of the ,islamic ,penal ,code of the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran to criminalize all activities in support of any religious minority that is not recognized under ,iran's constitution4 ,whereas the ,government of ,iran is a party to the ,international ,covenant on ,civil and ,political ,rights1 done at ,new ,york ,december #ai1 #aiff1 and the ,international ,covenant on ,economic1 ,social and ,cultural ,rights1 done at ,new ,york ,december #af1 #aiff1 and is in violation of its obligations under such covenants2 ,whereas section #aje of the ,comprehensive ,iran ,sanctions1 ,accountability1 and ,divestment ,act of #bjaj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #head7 authorizes the ,president to impose sanctions on individuals who are responsible for or complicit in1 or responsible for ordering1 controlling1 or otherwise directing1 the commission of serious human rights abuses against citizens of ,iran or their family members on or after ,june #ab1 #bjji2 and ,whereas the ,iran ,threat ,reduction and ,syria ,human ,rights ,act of #bjab 7,public ,law #aab-aeh7 amends and expands the authorities established under the ,comprehensive ,iran ,sanctions1 ,accountability1 and ,divestment ,act of #bjaj 7,public ,law #aaa-aie7 to sanction ,iranian human rights abusers3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 condemns the ,government of ,iran's state-sponsored persecution of its ,baha'i minority and its continued violation of the ,international ,covenant on ,civil and ,political ,rights and the ,international ,covenant on ,economic1 ,social and ,cultural ,rights2 7#b7 calls on the ,government of ,iran -- 7,a7 to immediately release the imprisoned or detained ,baha'is and all other prisoners held solely on account of their religion2 7,b7 to end its state-sponsored campaign of hate propaganda against the ,baha'is2 and 7,c7 to reverse state-imposed policies denying equal opportunities to higher education1 earning a livelihood1 due process under the law1 and the free exercise of religious practices2 7#c7 calls on the ,president and the ,secretary of ,state1 in cooperation with responsible nations-- 7,a7 to immediately condemn the ,government of ,iran's continued violation of human rights2 and 7,b7 to demand the immediate release of prisoners held solely on account of their religion2 and 7#d7 urges the ,president and the ,secretary of ,state to utilize available authorities to impose sanctions on officials of the ,government of ,iran and other individuals directly responsible for serious human rights abuses1 including abuses against the ,iranian ,baha'i community4