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

(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.

(c) Definitions

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.

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

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(5), is subtitle F (§§ 1261–1264) of title XII of div. A of Pub. L. 114–328, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2533, which is classified generally to chapter 108 (§ 10101 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 10101 of this title and Tables.

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, and not as part of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 which comprises this chapter.