III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 71 

Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of 

the Baha’i minority in Iran and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 9, 2009 

Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. SNOWE, 

Mr. BROWNBACK, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. REID, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. BURRIS, Mr. 

MARTINEZ, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. HATCH, Mr. ISAKSON, and Mr. LEVIN) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

DECEMBER 1, 2009 

Committee discharged; considered, amended, and agreed to and with an 

amended preamble 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored 

persecution of the Baha’i minority in Iran and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human 

Rights. 

Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 

2000, 2006, and 2008, 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 


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SRES 71 ATS 

all Iranian nationals, including members of the Baha’i 

faith; 

Whereas in November 2007, the Iranian Ministry of Information in Shiraz jailed Baha’is Ms. Raha Sabet, age 33, 

Mr. Sasan Taqva, age 32, and Ms. Haleh Roohi, age 29, 

for ostensibly ‘‘indirectly teaching the Baha’i Faith’’ and 

‘‘engaging in anti-government propaganda’’ while educating underprivileged children and gave them 4-year 

prison terms, which they are serving; 

Whereas Ms. Sabet, Mr. Taqva, and Ms. Roohi were targeted 

solely on the basis of their religion; 

Whereas on January 23, 2008, the Department of State released a statement urging the Government of Iran to release all individuals held without due process and a fair 

trial, including the 3 young Baha’is being held in an Iranian Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Shiraz; 

Whereas in March and May of 2008, Iranian intelligence officials in Mashhad and Tehran arrested and imprisoned 

Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. 

Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, 

Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, the members of the coordinating group for the Baha’i community 

in Iran; 

Whereas these seven leaders have been imprisoned for well 

over a year and are yet to stand trial, the trial having 

been delayed multiple times; 

Whereas official Iranian media has announced that they will 

face charges of ‘‘espionage for Israel, insulting religious 

sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic’’; 

Whereas these seven Baha’i leaders were targeted solely on 

the basis of their religion; and 


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SRES 71 ATS 

Whereas the Government of Iran is party to the International 

Covenants on Human Rights: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the Government of Iran for its 

3 state-sponsored persecution of the Baha’i minority 

4 in Iran and its continued violation of the Inter5 national Covenants on Human Rights; 

6 (2) calls on the Government of Iran to imme7 diately release the seven leaders and all other pris8 oners held solely on account of their religion, includ9 ing Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin 

10 Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. 

11 Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Vahid 

12 Tizfahm, Ms. Raha Sabet, Mr. Sasan Taqva, and 

13 Ms. Haleh Roohi; and 

14 (3) calls on the President and Secretary of 

15 State, in cooperation with responsible nations, to im16 mediately condemn the Government of Iran’s contin17 ued violation of human rights and demand the im18 mediate release of prisoners held solely on account 

19 of their religion, including Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, 

20 Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. 

21 Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash 

22 Sabet, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, Ms. Raha Sabet, Mr. 

23 Sasan Taqva, and Ms. Haleh Roohi. 

Æ 


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