III 

Calendar No. 431 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 385 

Condemning the Government of Iran for its continued persecution, imprisonment, and sentencing of Youcef Nadarkhani on the charge of apostasy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 1, 2012 

Mr. VITTER (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. HOEVEN, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. KIRK, 

Mr. BLUNT, Mr. HATCH, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. BURR, Mr. BOOZMAN, and 

Mr. JOHANNS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JUNE 20, 2012 

Reported by Mr. KERRY, without amendment and with an amendment to the 

preamble 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Government of Iran for its continued persecution, imprisonment, and sentencing of Youcef 

Nadarkhani on the charge of apostasy. 

Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights, adopted at Paris December 10, 1948, and the 

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 

adopted at New York December 16, 1966, recognize that 

every individual has ‘‘the right to freedom of thought, 

conscience and religion’’, which includes the ‘‘freedom to 


rfrederick on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 385 RS 

change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or 

in community with others and in public or private, to 

manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance’’; 

Whereas Iran is a member of the United Nations and signatory to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

and the International Covenant on Civil and Political 

Rights; 

Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has reported that religious 

minorities, including Nematullahi Sufi Muslims, Sunnis, 

Baha’is, and Christians, face human rights violations in 

Iran; 

Whereas, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of incidents of authorities in Iran 

raiding religious services, detaining worshipers and religious leaders, and harassing and threatening members of 

religious minorities; 

Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has reported that intelligence officials in Iran are known to threaten Christian 

converts with arrest and apostasy charges if they do not 

return to Islam; 

Whereas the Department of State’s most recent report on 

International Religious Freedom, released on September 

13, 2011, states that Iran’s ‘‘laws and policies severely 

restrict freedom of religion,’’ and notes ‘‘government imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination 

based on religious beliefs’’ including ‘‘death sentences for 

apostasy or evangelism’’; 


rfrederick on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 385 RS 

Whereas, in October 2009, Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian 

Christian, protested an Iranian law that would impose 

Islam on his Christian children; 

Whereas, in September 2010, a court in Iran accused Youcef 

Nadarkhani of abandoning the Islamic faith of his ancestors and condemned him to death for apostasy; 

Whereas the court sentenced Youcef Nadarkhani to death by 

hanging; 

Whereas, on December 5, 2010, Youcef Nadarkhani appealed 

his conviction and sentence to the Supreme Revolutionary 

Court in Qom, Iran, and the court held that if it could 

be proven that he was a practicing Muslim in adulthood, 

his death sentence should be carried out unless he recants his Christian faith and adopts Islam; 

Whereas, from September 25 to September 28, 2011, a court 

in Iran held hearings to determine if Youcef Nadarkhani 

was a practicing Muslim in adulthood and held that he 

had abandoned the faith of his ancestors and must be 

sentenced to death if he does not recant his faith; 

Whereas, on numerous occasions, the judiciary of Iran offered to commute Youcef Nadarkhani’s sentence if he 

would recant his faith; 

Whereas numerous Government of Iran officials have attempted to coerce Youcef Nadarkhani to recant his 

Christian faith and accept Islam in exchange for his freedom; 

Whereas Youcef Nadarkhani continues to refuse to recant his 

faith; 

Whereas the Government of Iran continues to indefinitely imprison Youcef Nadarkhani for choosing to practice Christianity; and 


rfrederick on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 385 RS 

Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has reported that, at the 

time of his report, on October 19, 2011, the Government 

of Iran had secretly executed 146 people during that calendar year, and in 2010, the Government of Iran secretly 

executed more than 300 people: Now, therefore, be it 

Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights, adopted at Paris December 10, 1948, and the 

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 

adopted at New York December 16, 1966, recognize that 

every individual has ‘‘the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion’’, which includes the ‘‘freedom to 

change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or 

in community with others and in public or private, to 

manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance’’; 

Whereas Iran is a member of the United Nations, supported 

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights when it was 

adopted, and ratified the International Covenant on Civil 

and Political Rights in 1976; 

Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has reported that religious 

minorities, including Nematullahi Sufi Muslims, Sunnis, 

Baha’is, and Christians, face human rights violations in 

Iran; 

Whereas, in recent years, there has been a significant increase 

in the number of incidents of authorities in Iran raiding 

religious services, detaining worshipers and religious leaders, and harassing and threatening members of religious 

minorities; 


rfrederick on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•SRES 385 RS 

Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has reported that intelligence 

officials in Iran are known to threaten Christian converts 

with arrest and apostasy charges if they do not return to 

Islam; 

Whereas the Department of State’s most recent report on International Religious Freedom, released on September 13, 

2011, states that Iran’s ‘‘laws and policies severely restrict 

freedom of religion,’’ and notes ‘‘government imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination based 

on religious beliefs’’ including ‘‘death sentences for apostasy or evangelism’’; 

Whereas, in October 2009, Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian 

Christian, protested an Iranian law that would impose 

Islam on his Christian children; 

Whereas, in September 2010, a local court in Iran accused 

Youcef Nadarkhani of abandoning the Islamic faith of his 

ancestors and condemned him to death for apostasy; 

Whereas the court sentenced Youcef Nadarkhani to death by 

hanging; 

Whereas, on December 5, 2010, Youcef Nadarkhani appealed 

his conviction and sentence to the Supreme Revolutionary 

Court in Qom, Iran, and the court held that if it could 

be proven that he was a practicing Muslim in adulthood, 

his death sentence should be carried out unless he recants 

his Christian faith and adopts Islam; 

Whereas, from September 25 to September 28, 2011, a local 

court in Iran held hearings to determine if Youcef 

Nadarkhani was a practicing Muslim in adulthood and 

held that he had abandoned the faith of his ancestors and 

must be sentenced to death if he does not recant his faith; 


rfrederick on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•SRES 385 RS 

Whereas, on numerous occasions, the judiciary of Iran offered 

to commute Youcef Nadarkhani’s sentence if he would recant his faith; 

Whereas numerous Government of Iran officials have attempted to coerce Youcef Nadarkhani to recant his Christian faith and accept Islam in exchange for his freedom; 

Whereas Youcef Nadarkhani continues to refuse to recant his 

faith; 

Whereas the Government of Iran continues to indefinitely imprison Youcef Nadarkhani for choosing to practice Christianity; and 

Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has reported that, at the time 

of his report, on March 6, 2012, the Government of Iran 

had secretly executed 249 people in 2011, and in 2010, the 

Government of Iran secretly executed more than 300 people: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the Government of Iran for its 

3 ongoing and systemic violations of the human rights 

4 of the people of Iran, including the state-sponsored 

5 persecution of religious minorities in Iran, and its 

6 continued failure to uphold its international obliga7 tions, including with respect to the Universal Dec8 laration of Human Rights and the International 

9 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; 

10 (2) calls for the Government of Iran to exon11 erate and immediately and unconditionally release 


rfrederick on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•SRES 385 RS 

1 Youcef Nadarkhani and all other individuals held or 

2 charged on account of their religious or political be3 liefs; 

4 (3) calls on the President to designate addi5 tional Iranian officials, as appropriate, for human 

6 rights abuses pursuant to section 105 of the Com7 prehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Di8 vestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514); and 

9 (4) reaffirms that freedom of religious belief 

10 and practice is a universal human right and a fun11 damental individual freedom that every government 

12 must protect and must never abridge. 


rfrederick on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 431 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 385 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Government of Iran for its continYoucef Nadarkhani on the charge of apostasy. ued persecution, imprisonment, and sentencing of 

JUNE 20, 2012 

Reported without amendment and with an amendment to 

the preamble 


rfrederick on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS