I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 194 

To impose additional sanctions with respect to serious human rights abuses 

of the Government of Iran, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2019 

Mr. MCCAUL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To impose additional sanctions with respect to serious human 

rights abuses of the Government of Iran, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Iran Human Rights 

5 and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. UNITED STATES POLICY ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLA7 TIONS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Iran is a member of the United Nations, 

2 voted for the Universal Declaration of Human 

3 Rights, and is a signatory to the International Cov4 enant on Civil and Political Rights, among other 

5 international human rights treaties. 

6 (2) In violation of these and other international 

7 obligations, Iranian regime officials continue to vio8 late the fundamental human rights of the Iranian 

9 people. 

10 (3) The Iranian regime persecutes ethnic and 

11 religious minority groups, such as the Baha’is, 

12 Christians, Sufi, Sunni, and dissenting Shi’a Mus13 lims (such as imprisoned Ayatollah Hossein 

14 Kazemeyni Boroujerdi), through harassment, ar15 rests, and imprisonment, during which detainees 

16 have routinely been beaten, tortured, and killed. 

17 (4) Following voting irregularities that resulted 

18 in the 2009 election of President Mahmoud 

19 Ahmadinejad, the Iranian regime brutally sup20 pressed peaceful political dissent from wide segments 

21 of civil society during the Green Revolution in a cyn22 ical attempt to retain its undemocratic grip on 

23 power. 

24 (5) Since February 2011, the leaders of Iran’s 

25 Green Movement, former Prime Minister Mir 


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1 Hossein Mousavi and his wife Dr. Zahra Rahnavard, 

2 have been incarcerated, and former Speaker of the 

3 Majles (parliament) Mehdi Karroubi has lived under 

4 strict house arrest, ordered by Iran’s Supreme Na5 tional Security. 

6 (6) In 1999 the Iranian regime brutally sup7 pressed a student revolt that was one of the largest 

8 mass uprisings up until that point in the country 

9 since 1979. 

10 (7) Over a 4-month period in 1988, the Iranian 

11 regime carried out the barbaric mass executions of 

12 thousands of political prisoners by hanging and fir13 ing squad for refusing to renounce their political af14 filiations and in some cases for possessing political 

15 reading material, including prisoners of conscience, 

16 teenagers, and pregnant women. In an audiotape, 

17 the late Hussein Ali Montazeri, a grand ayatollah 

18 who served as former Supreme leader Khomeini’s 

19 chief deputy, said that the 1988 mass killings were 

20 ‘‘the greatest crime committed during the Islamic 

21 Republic, for which history will condemn us’’. 

22 (8) Senior governmental, military, and public 

23 security officials in Iran have continued ordering, 

24 controlling, and committing egregious human rights 


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1 violations that, in many cases, represent official poli2 cies of the Iranian regime. 

3 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the 

4 Congress that the United States should— 

5 (1) deny the Government of Iran the ability to 

6 continue to oppress the people of Iran and to use vi7 olence and executions to silence pro-democracy 

8 protestors; 

9 (2) work with international partners to inves10 tigate human rights violations by senior officials of 

11 the Government of Iran, regardless of where or when 

12 such violations took place; 

13 (3) support efforts made by the people of Iran 

14 to promote the establishment of basic freedoms that 

15 build the foundation for the emergence of a freely 

16 elected, open, non-corrupt and democratic political 

17 system; 

18 (4) condemn Iranian human rights abuses 

19 against dissidents, including the massacre in 1988 

20 and the suppression of political demonstrations in 

21 1999, 2009, and 2017, and pressure the Govern22 ment of Iran to provide family members detailed in23 formation that they were denied about the final rest24 ing places of any missing victims of such abuses; 

25 and 


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1 (5) help the people of Iran produce, access, and 

2 share information freely and safely via the internet 

3 and other media. 

4 (c) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy 

5 of the United States to stand with the people of Iran who 

6 seek the opportunity to freely elect a government of their 

7 choosing, and increase the utilization of all available au8 thorities to impose sanctions on officials of the Govern9 ment of Iran and other individuals responsible for serious 

10 human rights abuses. 

11 SEC. 3. DETERMINATIONS WITH RESPECT TO IMPOSITION 

12 OF SANCTIONS ON CERTAIN PERSONS RE13 SPONSIBLE FOR OR COMPLICIT IN HUMAN 

14 RIGHTS ABUSES, ENGAGING IN CENSORSHIP, 

15 ENGAGING IN THE DIVERSION OF GOODS IN16 TENDED FOR THE PEOPLE OF IRAN, OR EN17 GAGING IN CORRUPTION. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days after the 

19 date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall sub20 mit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 

21 containing a determination of whether any senior officials 

22 of the Government of Iran or other Iranian persons meet 

23 the criteria described in— 

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1 vestment Act of 2010, as added by section 5 of this 

2 Act; or 

3 (2) paragraph (3) or (4) of section 1263(a) of 

4 the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

5 Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 

6 note). 

7 (b) REVIEW OF CERTAIN ENTITIES.—The report re8 quired under subsection (a) shall contain a review of any 

9 activities of cooperative foundations or bonyads in Iran 

10 with a capitalization that exceeds $200,000,000 and that 

11 meet the criteria in paragraph (3) or (4) of section 

12 1263(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for 

13 Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 

14 note) for purposes of corruption. 

15 (c) FORM OF REPORT; PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.— 

16 (1) FORM.—The report required under sub17 section (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, 

18 but may contain a classified annex. 

19 (2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The unclassified 

20 portion of such report shall be made available to the 

21 public and posted on the internet website of the De22 partment of the Treasury— 

23 (A) in English, Farsi, Arabic, and Azeri; 

24 and 


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1 (B) in precompressed, easily downloadable 

2 versions that are made available in all appro3 priate formats. 

4 (d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro5 priate congressional committees’’ means— 

6 (1) the Committee on Financial Services and 

7 the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 

8 Representatives; and 

9 (2) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

10 Urban Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Rela11 tions of the Senate. 

12 SEC. 4. UNITED STATES POLICY ON HOSTAGE-TAKING BY 

13 THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN. 

14 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

15 (1) Since 1979 the Iranian regime has engaged 

16 in various destabilizing activities that undermine the 

17 national security of the United States and its allies 

18 and partners. 

19 (2) These activities include the hostage-taking 

20 or prolonged arbitrary detentions of United States 

21 citizens and other persons with connections to Can22 ada, the United Kingdom, France, and other nations 

23 allied with the United States. 

24 (3) The Iranian regime has detained on fab25 ricated claims a significant number of United States 


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1 citizens, including Siamak and Baquer Namazi and 

2 Xiyue Wang, as well as United States legal perma3 nent resident, Nizar Zakka, in violation of inter4 national legal norms. 

5 (4) The Iranian regime has not provided infor6 mation on the whereabouts of or assistance in ensur7 ing the prompt and safe return of Robert Levinson, 

8 despite repeated promises to do so, after he was kid9 napped while visiting Iran’s Kish Island on March 9, 

10 2007—making him the longest held hostage in 

11 United States history. 

12 (5) The Iranian regime reportedly uses hostages 

13 as leverage against foreign investors to exact busi14 ness concessions in foreign investment deals. 

15 (6) The type of hostage-taking enterprise put in 

16 place by the Iranian regime is a crime against hu17 manity and a violation of customary international 

18 law. 

19 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the 

20 Congress that— 

21 (1) the Administration should fully utilize all 

22 necessary and appropriate measures to prevent the 

23 Iranian regime from engaging in hostage-taking or 

24 the prolonged arbitrary detention of United States 


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1 citizens or legal permanent resident aliens, to in2 clude— 

3 (A) the use of extradition to try and con4 vict those individuals responsible for ordering or 

5 controlling the hostage-taking or arbitrary de6 tention of United States citizens; and 

7 (B) the use of the Department of Home8 land Security’s Human Rights Violators and 

9 War Crimes Center to target such individuals; 

10 and 

11 (2) the United States should encourage its al12 lies and other affected countries to pursue the crimi13 nal prosecution and extradition of state and non14 state actors in Iran that assist in or benefit from 

15 such hostage-taking to prevent such state and non16 state actors from engaging in this practice in the fu17 ture. 

18 (c) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

19 United States Government not to pay ransom for the pur20 pose of securing the release of United States citizens or 

21 legal permanent resident aliens taken hostage abroad. 

22 (d) STRATEGY.—Not later than 120 days after the 

23 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 

24 shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

25 House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 


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1 Relations of the Senate a report that contains a strategy 

2 to prevent elements of the Iranian regime from engaging 

3 in hostage-taking or the prolonged arbitrary detention of 

4 United States citizens or legal permanent resident aliens. 

5 SEC. 5. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO IRA6 NIAN PERSONS WHO ENGAGE IN CERTAIN AC7 TIONS AGAINST UNITED STATES CITIZENS OR 

8 IRANIAN PERSONS. 

9 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con10 gress that the United States should coordinate with 

11 United States allies and other allies and partners whose 

12 citizens may be subject to politically-motivated detention 

13 or trial in Iran, to apply sanctions against Iranian persons 

14 that are responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for 

15 ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, such deten16 tion or trial. 

17 (b) IN GENERAL.—Title I of the Comprehensive Iran 

18 Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 is 

19 amended by inserting after section 105C (22 U.S.C. 

20 8514c) the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 105D. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO 

2 IRANIAN PERSONS WHO ENGAGE IN CERTAIN 

3 ACTIONS AGAINST UNITED STATES CITIZENS 

4 OR IRANIAN PERSONS. 

5 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall impose sanc6 tions described in section 105(c) with respect to each per7 son on the list required by subsection (b). 

8 ‘‘(b) LIST OF IRANIAN PERSONS WHO ENGAGE IN

9 CERTAIN ACTIONS AGAINST UNITED STATES CITIZENS

10 OR IRANIAN PERSONS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

12 after the date of the enactment of this section, the 

13 President shall submit to the appropriate congres14 sional committees a list of Iranian persons that the 

15 President determines, are knowingly— 

16 ‘‘(A) responsible for or complicit in, or re17 sponsible for ordering or otherwise directing, 

18 the politically-motivated harassment, abuse, ex19 tortion, or extended detention or trial of citizens 

20 of the United States or United States legal per21 manent resident aliens, regardless of whether 

22 such actions occurred in Iran; or 

23 ‘‘(B) responsible for or complicit in, or re24 sponsible for ordering or otherwise directing, 

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1 nians, Iranian residents, or persons of Iranian 

2 origin outside of Iran. 

3 ‘‘(2) UPDATES OF LIST.—The President shall 

4 submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

5 an updated list under paragraph (1)— 

6 ‘‘(A) each time the President is required to 

7 submit an updated list to those committees 

8 under section 105(b)(2)(A); and 

9 ‘‘(B) as new information becomes avail10 able. 

11 ‘‘(3) FORM OF REPORT; PUBLIC AVAIL12 ABILITY.— 

13 ‘‘(A) FORM.—The list required by para14 graph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified 

15 form but may contain a classified annex. 

16 ‘‘(B) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The unclas17 sified portion of the list required by paragraph 

18 (1) shall be made available to the public and 

19 posted on the websites of the Department of the 

20 Treasury and the Department of State. 

21 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION OF SANCTIONS TO IMMEDIATE

22 FAMILY MEMBERS.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The President is author24 ized to impose sanctions described in paragraph (2) 


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1 with respect to each person that is a family member 

2 of any person on the list required by subsection (b). 

3 ‘‘(2) ALIENS INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS, ADMIS4 SION, OR PAROLE.— 

5 ‘‘(A) VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.—An 

6 alien who the Secretary of State or the Sec7 retary of Homeland Security (or a designee of 

8 one of such Secretaries) knows, or has reason 

9 to believe, is a family member of any person on 

10 the list required by subsection (b) is— 

11 ‘‘(i) inadmissible to the United States; 

12 ‘‘(ii) ineligible to receive a visa or 

13 other documentation to enter the United 

14 States; and 

15 ‘‘(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admit16 ted or paroled into the United States or to 

17 receive any other benefit under the Immi18 gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

19 1101 et seq.). 

20 ‘‘(B) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.— 

21 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The issuing con22 sular officer, the Secretary of State, or the 

23 Secretary of Homeland Security (or a des24 ignee of one of such Secretaries) shall re25 voke any visa or other entry documentation 


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1 issued to an alien who is a family member 

2 of any person on the list required by sub3 section (b) regardless of when issued. 

4 ‘‘(ii) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—A 

5 revocation under clause (i)— 

6 ‘‘(I) shall take effect imme7 diately; and 

8 ‘‘(II) shall automatically cancel 

9 any other valid visa or entry docu10 mentation that is in the alien’s pos11 session. 

12 ‘‘(3) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH UNITED NA13 TIONS HEADQUARTERS AGREEMENT.—Sanctions 

14 under paragraph (2) shall not apply to an alien if 

15 admitting the alien into the United States is nec16 essary to permit the United States to comply with 

17 the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the 

18 United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 

19 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, 

20 between the United Nations and the United States, 

21 or other applicable international obligations. 

22 ‘‘(4) DEFINITION OF FAMILY MEMBER.—In this 

23 section, the term ‘family member’ means, with re24 spect to an individual— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a spouse, child, parent, sibling, 

2 grandchild, or grandparent of the individual; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(B) a spouse’s child, parent, or sibling. 

5 ‘‘(d) TERMINATION OF SANCTIONS.—The provisions 

6 of this section shall terminate on the date that is 30 days 

7 after the date on which the President— 

8 ‘‘(1) determines and certifies to the appropriate 

9 congressional committees that the Government of 

10 Iran is no longer complicit in or responsible for the 

11 wrongful and unlawful detention of United States 

12 citizens or legal permanent resident aliens; and 

13 ‘‘(2) transmits to the appropriate congressional 

14 committees the certification described in section 

15 105(d) of this Act.’’. 

16 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

17 for the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and 

18 Divestment Act of 2010 is amended by inserting after the 

19 item relating to section 105C the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 105D. Imposition of sanctions with respect to Iranian persons who engage in certain actions against United States citizens or Iranian persons.’’. 

20 (d) AMENDMENTS TO GENERAL PROVISIONS.—Sec21 tion 401 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Account22 ability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8551) is 

23 amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘and 305’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘, 105D, and 305’’; and 

3 (2) in subsection (b)(1)— 

4 (A) by striking ‘‘or 105C(a)’’ and inserting 

5 ‘‘105C(a), or 105D(a)’’; and 

6 (B) by striking ‘‘or 105C(b)’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘105C(b), or 105D(b)’’. 

Æ 


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