,,iii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #gd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #af1 #bjbc,mr4 ,wyden 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,kelly1 ,mr4 ,hickenlooper1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,ms4 ,sinema1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,warnock1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,mr4 ,braun1 ,mrs4 ,capito1 and ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,condemning the ,government of ,iran's state-sponsored persecution of the ,baha'i minority and its continued violation of the ,international ,covenants on ,human ,rights4 ,whereas1 in #aihb1 #aihd1 #aihh1 #aiij1 #aiib1 #aiic1 #aiid1 #aiif1 #bjjj1 #bjjd1 #bjjf1 #bjjh1 #bjji1 #bjab1 #bjac1 #bjae1 #bjaf1 #bjag1 #bjah1 #bjbj1 and #bjbb1 ,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 nationals1 including members of the ,baha'i faith2 ,whereas1 since #aigi1 ,iranian authorities have killed or executed more than #bjj ,baha'i leaders1 and more than #aj1jjj ,baha'is have been dismissed from government and university jobs2 ,whereas1 on ,december #ae1 #bjbb1 the ,united ,nations ,general ,assembly adopted a resolution 7,a_/,c4#c_/gg_/,l4#cd7 criticizing ,iran for human rights abuses and calling on ,iran to carry out wide-ranging reforms1 including-- 7#a7 to end its continuing disregard for protections under ,iranian law or internationally recognized safeguards relating to the imposition of the death penalty and to commute the sentences for child offenders on death row2 7#b7 to ensure1 in law and in practice1 that no one is subjected to torture or other cruel1 inhumane or degrading treatment2 7#c7 to cease the widespread and systematic use of arbitrary arrests and detention2 7#d7 to release persons detained for the exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms2 7#e7 to address the poor conditions of prisons2 7#f7 to eliminate1 in law and in practice1 all forms of systemic discrimination and other human rights violations against women and girls2 7#g7 to cease the increased harassment1 intimidation1 persecution1 arbitrary arrest and detention of1 and incitement to hatred that leads to violence against1 persons belonging to recognized and unrecognized religious minorities1 including ,christians 7particularly converts from ,islam71 ,gonabadi ,dervishes1 ,jews1 ,sufi ,muslims1 ,sunni ,muslims1 ,yarsanis1 ,zoroastrians1 and1 in particular1 ,baha'is1 who have been subjected to a sudden increase in persecution1 who have faced increasing restrictions and systemic persecution by the ,government of the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran on account of their faith and have been reportedly subjected to mass arrests and lengthy prison sentences1 as well as the arrest of prominent members and increased confiscation and destruction of property2 and 7#h7 to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a minority religious group1 to cease the desecration of cemeteries and to ensure that everyone has the right to freedom of thought1 conscience and religion or belief2 ,whereas1 in the #bjbb ,annual ,report of the ,united ,states ,commission on ,international ,religious ,freedom issued in ,april #bjbb1 it is reported that-- 7#a7 the ,government of ,iran arrested scores of ,baha'is across ,iran1 many of whom were held incommunicado or taken to undisclosed locations2 7#b7 ,iranian universities continued to deny education to ,baha'is on account of their faith2 7#c7 government agents closed six ,baha'i businesses2 7#d7 government officials demolished the homes of three ,baha'is without warning2 and 7#e7 the ,government of ,iran announced the auction of thirteen ,baha'i farms2 ,whereas the ,iran section of the ,department of ,state's #bjba ,report on ,international ,religious ,freedom issued in ,june #bjbb provides1 in part-- 7#a7 ,authorities continued to confiscate ,baha'i properties as part of an ongoing state-led campaign of economic persecution against ,baha'is42 7#b7 ,authorities reportedly continued to deny the ,baha'i1 ,sabean-,mandaean1 and ,yarsani religious communities1 as well as members of other unrecognized religious minorities1 access to education and government employment unless they declared themselves as belonging to one of the country's recognized religions on their application forms42 and 7#c7 ,government officials continued to disseminate anti-,baha'i and antisemitic messages using traditional and social media42 ,whereas1 in response to a surge in persecution in ,june and ,july #bjbb1 involving the subjection of over #ajj ,baha'is to arrests1 arraignments1 sentencing1 and raids on their homes and businesses across ,iran1 including the sentencing in ,june of #bf individuals in the city of ,shiraz to a combined total of #he years in prison1 the ,department of ,state's ,office of ,international ,religious ,freedom issued a statement on ,august #b1 #bjbb1 indicating that amid a continued rise in arrests1 sentences1 and imprisonments1 the ,u4,s4 urges ,iran to halt its ongoing oppression of the ,baha'i community and honor its international obligations to respect the right of all ,iranians to freedom of religion or belief2 ,whereas1 on ,november #ba1 #bjbb1 ,mahvash ,sabet and ,fariba ,kamalabadi1 #b former members of the informal #g-person leadership group of the ,baha'is of ,iran1 who each served #aj-year sentences from #bjjh to #bjah and have been detained since ,july #ca1 #bjbb1 in ,evin prison1 were sentenced to #aj years in prison each after a summary trial lasting #a hour2 ,whereas1 on ,december #aa1 #bjbb1 the ,baha'i ,international ,community organization stated that ,dr4 ,shirin ,ebadi1 the ,nobel laureate and defence lawyer for ,mahvash and ,fariba during their first trial1 said in #bjjh that not a shred of evidence was offered to prove the national security charges or other allegations4 ,nor was any new evidence forthcoming at this latest trial2 ,whereas1 on ,december #aa1 #bjbb1 the ,baha'i ,international ,community organization reported1 ,more than #cbj ,baha'is have been affected by individual acts of persecution since the arrest of ,mahvash and ,fariba4 ,dozens were arrested at various points in ,shiraz1 across ,mazandaran province1 and elsewhere throughout the country4 ,homes owned by ,baha'is in the village of ,roshankouh were demolished4 ,government plans to tar the ,baha'is through hate speech and propaganda were also exposed4 ,and at least #ij ,baha'is are currently in prison or subject to degrading ankle-band monitoring42 ,whereas ,iran is a member of the ,united ,nations and a signatory to both the ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights and the ,international ,covenant on ,civil and ,political ,rights1 among other international human rights treaties1 without reservation2 ,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 the ,baha'i minority in ,iran and the continued violation of the ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights and the ,international ,covenant on ,civil and ,political ,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 ,baha'is and members of other religious minorities 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 nations1 to immediately condemn the ,government of ,iran's continued violation of human rights1 and 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 ,baha'i community of ,iran4