IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 109 

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

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 12, 2013 

Mr. GRIMM (for himself and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored 

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

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

2000, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013, 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 nationals, including members of 

the Baha’i faith; 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2012 Report stated, ‘‘The Baha’i community has long been subject to particularly severe religious 

freedom violations in Iran. Baha’is, who number at least 


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•HRES 109 IH 

300,000, are viewed as ‘heretics’ by Iranian authorities 

and may face repression on the grounds of apostasy.’’; 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2012 Report stated, ‘‘Since 1979, Iranian 

government authorities have killed more than 200 Baha’i 

leaders in Iran and dismissed more than 10,000 from 

government and university jobs.’’; 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2012 Report stated, ‘‘Baha’is may not establish places of worship, schools, or any independent religious associations in Iran.’’; 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2012 Report stated, ‘‘Baha’is are barred 

from the military and denied government jobs and pensions as well as the right to inherit property. Their marriages and divorces also are not recognized, and they 

have difficulty obtaining death certificates. Baha’i cemeteries, holy places, and community properties are often 

seized or desecrated, and many important religious sites 

have been destroyed.’’; 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2012 Report stated, ‘‘The Baha’i community faces severe economic pressure, including denials of 

jobs in both the public and private sectors and of business licenses. Iranian authorities often pressure employers of Baha’is to dismiss them from employment in the 

private sector.’’; 

Whereas the Department of State 2011 International Religious Freedom Report stated, ‘‘The government prohibits 

Baha’is from teaching and practicing their faith and subVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:21 Mar 13, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR109.IH HR109

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jects them to many forms of discrimination that followers 

of other religions do not face.’’; 

Whereas the Department of State 2011 International Religious Freedom Report stated, ‘‘According to law, Baha’i 

blood is considered ‘mobah’, meaning it can be spilled 

with impunity.’’; 

Whereas the Department of State 2011 International Religious Freedom Report stated that ‘‘members of religious 

minorities, with the exception of Baha’is, can serve in 

lower ranks of government employment’’, and ‘‘Baha’is 

are barred from all leadership positions in the government and military’’; 

Whereas the Department of State 2011 International Religious Freedom Report stated, ‘‘Baha’is suffered frequent 

government harassment and persecution, and their property rights generally were disregarded. The government 

raided Baha’i homes and businesses and confiscated large 

amounts of private and commercial property, as well as 

religious materials belonging to Baha’is.’’; 

Whereas the Department of State 2011 International Religious Freedom Report stated, ‘‘Baha’is also are required 

to register with the police’’; 

Whereas the Department of State 2011 International Religious Freedom Report stated that ‘‘[p]ublic and private 

universities continued to deny admittance to and expelled 

Baha’i students’’ and ‘‘[d]uring the year, at least 30 Baha’is were barred or expelled from universities on political 

or religious grounds’’; 

Whereas the Department of State 2011 International Religious Freedom Report stated, ‘‘Baha’is are regularly denied compensation for injury or criminal victimization.’’; 


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•HRES 109 IH 

Whereas, on March 6, 2012, the United Nations Special 

Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a report (A/HRC/19/66), 

which stated that ‘‘the Special Rapporteur continues to 

be alarmed by communications that demonstrate the systemic and systematic persecution of members of unrecognized religious communities, particularly the Baha’i community, in violation of international conventions’’ and expressed concern regarding ‘‘an intensive defamation campaign meant to incite discrimination and hate against 

Baha’is’’; 

Whereas, on May 23, 2012, the United Nations SecretaryGeneral issued a report, which stated that ‘‘the Special 

Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief . . . pointed 

out that the Islamic Republic of Iran had a policy of systematic persecution of persons belonging to the Baha’i 

faith, excluding them from the application of freedom of 

religion or belief by simply denying that their faith had 

the status of a religion’’; 

Whereas, on August 22, 2012, the United Nations SecretaryGeneral issued a report, which stated, ‘‘The international 

community continues to express concerns about the very 

serious discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities in law and in practice, in particular the Baha’i 

community. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of 

human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran expressed 

alarm about the systemic and systematic persecution of 

members of the Baha’i community, including severe socioeconomic pressure and arrests and detention. He also 

deplored the Government’s tolerance of an intensive defamation campaign aimed at inciting discrimination and 

hate against Baha’is.’’; 


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•HRES 109 IH 

Whereas, on September 13, 2012, the United Nations Special 

Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a report (A/67/369), which 

stated, ‘‘Reports and interviews submitted to the Special 

Rapporteur also continue to portray a disturbing trend 

with regard to religious freedom in the country. Members 

of both recognized and unrecognized religions have reported various levels of intimidation, arrest, detention 

and interrogation that focus on their religious beliefs.’’, 

and stated, ‘‘At the time of drafting the report, 105 

members of the Baha’i community were reported to be in 

detention.’’; 

Whereas, on November 27, 2012, the Third Committee of the 

United Nations General Assembly adopted a draft resolution (A/C.3/67/L.51), which noted, ‘‘[I]ncreased persecution and human rights violations against persons belonging to unrecognized religious minorities, particularly 

members of the Baha’i faith and their defenders, including escalating attacks, an increase in the number of arrests and detentions, the restriction of access to higher 

education on the basis of religion, the sentencing of 

twelve Baha’is associated with Baha’i educational institutions to lengthy prison terms, the continued denial of access to employment in the public sector, additional restrictions on participation in the private sector, and the 

de facto criminalization of membership in the Baha’i 

faith.’’; 

Whereas, on December 20, 2012, the United Nations General 

Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/67/182), which 

called upon the government of Iran ‘‘[t]o eliminate discrimination against, and exclusion of . . . members of the 

Baha’i Faith, regarding access to higher education, and 


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to eliminate the criminalization of efforts to provide higher education to Baha’i youth denied access to Iranian 

universities,’’ and ‘‘to accord all Baha’is, including those 

imprisoned because of their beliefs, the due process of 

law and the rights that they are constitutionally guaranteed’’; 

Whereas, on February 28, 2013, the United Nations Special 

Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a report (A/HRC/22/56), 

which stated, ‘‘110 Bahai’s are currently detained in Iran 

for exercising their faith, including two women, Mrs. 

Zohreh Nikayin and Mrs. Taraneh Torabi, who are reportedly nursing infants in prison’’; 

Whereas, in March and May of 2008, intelligence officials of 

the Government of Iran 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 seven members of the ad hoc 

leadership group for the Baha’i community in Iran; 

Whereas, in August 2010, the Revolutionary Court in Tehran 

sentenced the seven Baha’i leaders to 20-year prison 

terms on charges of ‘‘spying for Israel, insulting religious 

sanctities, propaganda against the regime and spreading 

corruption on earth’’; 

Whereas the lawyer for these seven leaders, Mrs. Shirin 

Ebadi, the Nobel Laureate, was denied meaningful or 

timely access to the prisoners and their files, and her successors as defense counsel were provided extremely limited access; 


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Whereas these seven Baha’i leaders were targeted solely on 

the basis of their religion; 

Whereas, beginning in May 2011, Government of Iran officials in four cities conducted sweeping raids on the homes 

of dozens of individuals associated with the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) and arrested and detained several educators associated with BIHE; 

Whereas, in October 2011, the Revolutionary Court in 

Tehran sentenced seven of these BIHE instructors and 

administrators, Mr. Vahid Mahmoudi, Mr. Kamran 

Mortezaie, Mr. Mahmoud Badavam, Ms. Nooshin 

Khadem, Mr. Farhad Sedghi, Mr. Riaz Sobhani, and Mr. 

Ramin Zibaie, to prison terms for the crime of ‘‘membership of the deviant sect of Baha’ism, with the goal of taking action against the security of the country, in order 

to further the aims of the deviant sect and those of organizations outside the country’’; 

Whereas six of these educators remain imprisoned, with Mr. 

Mortezaie serving a 5-year prison term and Mr. 

Badavam, Ms. Khadem, Mr. Sedghi, Mr. Sobhani, and 

Mr. Zibaie serving 4-year prison terms; 

Whereas, since October 2011, four other BIHE educators, 

Ms. Faran Hessami, Mr. Kamran Rahimian, Mr. Kayvan 

Rahimian, and Mr. Shahin Negari have been sentenced 

to 4-year prison terms, which they are now serving; 

Whereas the efforts of the Government of Iran to collect information on individual Baha’is have recently intensified 

as evidenced by a letter, dated November 5, 2011, from 

the Director of the Department of Education in the county of Shahriar in the province of Tehran, instructing the 

directors of schools in his jurisdiction to ‘‘subtly and in 


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a confidential manner’’ collect information on Baha’i students; 

Whereas the Baha’i community continues to undergo intense 

economic and social pressure, including an ongoing campaign in the town of Semnan, where the Government of 

Iran has harassed and detained Baha’is, closed 17 Baha’i 

owned businesses in the last three years, and imprisoned 

several members of the community, including three mothers along with their infants; 

Whereas ordinary Iranian citizens who belong to the Baha’i 

faith are disproportionately targeted, interrogated, and 

detained under the pretext of national security; 

Whereas the Government of Iran is party to the International 

Covenants on Human Rights and is in violation of its obligations under the Covenants; and 

Whereas the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, 

and Divestment Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–195) authorizes the President and the Secretary of State to impose sanctions on individuals ‘‘responsible for or 

complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or 

otherwise directing, the commission of serious human 

rights abuses against citizens of Iran or their family 

members on or after June 12, 2009’’: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the Government of Iran for its 

3 state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority 

4 and its continued violation of the International Cov5 enants on Human Rights; 


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1 (2) calls on the Government of Iran to imme2 diately release the seven imprisoned leaders, the ten 

3 imprisoned educators, and all other prisoners held 

4 solely on account of their religion; 

5 (3) calls on the President and Secretary of 

6 State, in cooperation with responsible nations, to im7 mediately condemn the Government of Iran’s contin8 ued violation of human rights and demand the im9 mediate release of prisoners held solely on account 

10 of their religion; and 

11 (4) urges the President and Secretary of State 

12 to utilize all available authorities, including the Com13 prehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Di14 vestment Act of 2010, to impose sanctions on offi15 cials of the Government of Iran and other individ16 uals directly responsible for serious human rights 

17 abuses, including abuses against the Baha’i commu18 nity of Iran. 

Æ 


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