IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 556 
Condemning the Government of Iran for its continued persecution, imprison-
ment, and sentencing of Youcef Nadarkhani on the charge of apostasy. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 17, 2012 
Mr. PITTS (for himself, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. SHULER, Mr. WOLF, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Mr. ELLISON, and Mr. CARTER) submitted the following res-
olution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning the Government of Iran for its continued perse-
cution, 
imprisonment, 
and 
sentencing 
of 
Youcef 
Nadarkhani on the charge of apostasy. 
Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Polit-
ical Rights uphold that every individual shall have ‘‘the 
right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion’’, 
which includes the ‘‘freedom to change his religion or be-
lief, and freedom, either alone or in community with oth-
ers 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 signa-
tory to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
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•HRES 556 IH 
and the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
Rights; 
Whereas articles 23 through 27 of the Constitution of the Is-
lamic Republic of Iran provide for freedom of expression, 
assembly, and association, as well as the freedom to prac-
tice one’s religion; 
Whereas Iran is a religiously diverse society and the United 
Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human 
rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran reports that reli-
gious minorities including Nematullahi Sufi Muslims, 
Sunnis, Baha’is, and Christians face human rights viola-
tions in Iran; 
Whereas in recent years, there has been a significant increase 
in the number of incidents of Iranian authorities raiding 
religious services, detaining worshippers and religious 
leaders, and harassing and threatening minority religious 
members; 
Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human 
rights reports that Iranian intelligence officials are 
known to threaten Christian converts with arrest and 
apostasy charges if they do not return to Islam; 
Whereas in October 2009, Youcef Nadarkhani, a minority 
Christian, protested an Iranian law that would impose 
Islam on his Christian children; 
Whereas in September 2010, an Iranian court accused 
Youcef Nadarkhani of abandoning the Islamic faith of his 
ancestors, and condemned him to death for apostasy; 
Whereas the Iranian court sentenced Youcef Nadarkhani to 
death by hanging according to Article 167 of the Iranian 
Constitution, Article 8 from the book of Tahrir Alvasilah 
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•HRES 556 IH 
Fi Sofat Alghazi Va Maianaseb Lah, and Fatwas of Shia 
theologians; 
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 re-
cants his Christian faith and adopts Islam; 
Whereas, on September 25, 2011, through September 28, 
2011, the State Court of Gilan Section 11 held hearings 
to determine if Youcef Nadarkhani was a practicing Mus-
lim 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 re-
cant his faith; 
Whereas numerous Government of Iran officials have at-
tempted to coerce Youcef Nadarkhani to recant his 
Christian faith and accept Islam in exchange for his free-
dom; 
Whereas upon the date of the passing of this resolution, 
Youcef Nadarkhani has refused to recant his faith; 
Whereas the Government of Iran continues to indefinitely im-
prison Youcef Nadarkhani for choosing to practice Chris-
tianity; and 
Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human 
rights reported that, at the time of his report, in 2011, 
Iran had secretly executed 146 people, and in 2010, Iran 
secretly executed more than 300 people: Now, therefore, 
be it 
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•HRES 556 IH 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns the Government of Iran for its 
state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities in 
the Islamic Republic of Iran and its continued viola-
tion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
and the International Covenant on Civil and Polit-
ical Rights, and calls for the Government of Iran to 
exonerate 
and 
immediately 
release 
Youcef 
Nadarkhani and all other individuals held or charged 
on account of their religion; 
(2) recognizes that freedom of religious belief 
and practice is a universal human right and a fun-
damental freedom of every individual, regardless of 
race, sex, country, creed, or nationality, and should 
never be arbitrarily abridged by any government; 
and 
(3) recognizes that governments have a respon-
sibility to protect the fundamental rights of their 
citizens and to pursue justice for all. 
Æ 
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