III 

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, and Mr. HATCH) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

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 

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’’; 


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•SRES 385 IS 

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’’; 

Whereas, in October 2009, Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian 

Christian, protested an Iranian law that would impose 

Islam on his Christian children; 


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•SRES 385 IS 

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 

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 


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•SRES 385 IS 

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 

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 

12 Youcef Nadarkhani and all other individuals held or 

13 charged on account of their religious or political be14 liefs; 

15 (3) calls on the President to designate addi16 tional Iranian officials, as appropriate, for human 

17 rights abuses pursuant to section 105 of the Com18 prehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Di19 vestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514); and 

20 (4) reaffirms that freedom of religious belief 

21 and practice is a universal human right and a funVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:36 Mar 02, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR385.IS SR385

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•SRES 385 IS 

1 damental individual freedom that every government 

2 must protect and must never abridge. 

Æ 


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