§ 8756 — Secretary Of State Assistance For Prisoners In Islamic Republic Of Iran

(a) 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) 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) 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.