22 U.S.C. § 8756 — Secretary of State assistance for prisoners in Islamic Republic of Iran

submitted 4 years ago by Pub. L. 117-263 to r/title-22-FOREIGN-RELATIONS-AND-INTERCOURSE · 437 words · no verdicts yet

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It is U.S. policy that Iran should let a UN human rights investigator work freely, stop abusing political prisoners, and release all prisoners of conscience. Officials responsible for abuses should be held accountable, including through sanctions. The State Department can keep funding groups that support these prisoners.

(a) Statement of policy. It is U.S. policy that: (1) Iran should give the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran unimpeded access to do the job fully, including investigating rights violations in prisons and elsewhere, sending urgent appeals about violations, and engaging with stakeholders in the region; (2) Iran should immediately stop violating the rights of political prisoners or people jailed for free speech, including stopping torture, denial of health care, and denial of a fair trial; (3) all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in Iran should be released immediately and without conditions; (4) the U.S. should use every diplomatic tool to get them released, including raising individual cases; and (5) Iranian officials responsible for politically motivated imprisonment should be held accountable, including through sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and other U.S. laws. (b) Assistance for prisoners. The Secretary of State may keep funding civil society organizations that support Iran's prisoners of conscience and political prisoners, including groups that work to free them, document rights violations against them, raise international awareness, support their physical and mental health, or help them rebuild their lives after release — including access to education, jobs, or other forms of repair. (c) Definitions. (1) "Political prisoner" means someone detained or imprisoned for politically motivated reasons. (2) "Prisoner of conscience" means someone imprisoned or restricted only for peacefully exercising their human rights, who has not used or advocated violence or hatred.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a) Statement of policy

It is the policy of the United States that—

(1)

the Islamic Republic of Iran should allow the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran unimpeded access to facilitate the full implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, including—

(A)

investigating alleged violations of human rights that are occurring or have occurred both within prisons and elsewhere;

(B)

transmitting urgent appeals and letters to the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding alleged violations of human rights; and

(C)

engaging with relevant stakeholders in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the surrounding region;

(2)

the Islamic Republic of Iran should immediately end violations of the human rights of political prisoners or persons imprisoned for exercising the right to freedom of speech, including—

(A)

torture;

(B)

denial of access to health care; and

(C)

denial of a fair trial;

(3)

all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in the Islamic Republic of Iran should be unconditionally and immediately released;

(4)

all diplomatic tools of the United States should be invoked to ensure that all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in the Islamic Republic of Iran are released, including raising individual cases of particular concern; and

(5)

all officials of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran who are responsible for human rights abuses in the form of politically motivated imprisonment should be held to account, including through the imposition of sanctions pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) and other applicable statutory authorities of the United States.

(b) Assistance for prisoners

The Secretary of State is authorized to continue to provide assistance to civil society organizations that support prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including organizations that—

(1)

work to secure the release of such prisoners;

(2)

document violations of human rights with respect to such prisoners;

(3)

support international advocacy to raise awareness of issues relating to such prisoners;

(4)

support the health, including mental health, of such prisoners; and

(5)

provide post-incarceration assistance to enable such prisoners to resume normal lives, including access to education, employment, or other forms of reparation.

In this section:

(1)

The term “political prisoner” means a person who has been detained or imprisoned on politically motivated grounds.

(2)

The term “prisoner of conscience” means a person who—

(A)

is imprisoned or otherwise physically restricted solely in response to the peaceful exercise of the human rights of such person; and

(B)

has not used violence or advocated violence or hatred.

Source credit: (Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LV, § 5592, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3384.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

2022Enacted · Pub. L. 117-263 · 136 Stat. 3384

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 117-263 on 2022-12-23.

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