22 U.S.C. § 8755 — Statement of policy on political prisoners

Page 2134 TITLE 22—FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE § 8755 section 6208a of this title $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to carry out the grant program authorized under this sub- section. (B) Availability Amounts appropriated pursuant to the au- thorization in subparagraph (A) are author- ized remain available until expended. (Pub. L. 118–159, div. E, title LI, § 5124, Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2431.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section was enacted as part of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Au- thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, and not as part of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 which comprises this chapter. § 8755. Statement of policy on political prisoners It shall be the policy of the United States— (1) to support efforts to research and identify prisoners of conscience and cases of human rights abuses in Iran; (2) to offer refugee status or political asylum in the United States to political dissidents in Iran if requested and consistent with the laws and national security interests of the United States; (3) to offer to assist, through the United Na- tions High Commissioner for Refugees, with the relocation of such political prisoners to other countries if requested, as appropriate and with appropriate consideration for the na- tional security interests of the United States; and (4) to publicly call for the release of Iranian dissidents by name and raise awareness with respect to individual cases of Iranian dis- sidents and prisoners of conscience, as appro- priate and if requested by the dissidents or prisoners themselves or their families. (Pub. L. 112–158, title IV, § 415, Aug. 10, 2012, 126 Stat. 1257.) § 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 Re- public of Iran unimpeded access to facilitate the full implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, includ- ing— (A) investigating alleged violations of human rights that are occurring or have oc- curred both within prisons and elsewhere; (B) transmitting urgent appeals and let- ters to the Islamic Republic of Iran regard- ing alleged violations of human rights; and (C) engaging with relevant stakeholders in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the sur- rounding region; (2) the Islamic Republic of Iran should im- mediately end violations of the human rights of political prisoners or persons imprisoned for exercising the right to freedom of speech, in- cluding— (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 re- leased; (4) all diplomatic tools of the United States should be invoked to ensure that all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in the Is- lamic Republic of Iran are released, including raising individual cases of particular concern; and (5) all officials of the government of the Is- lamic Republic of Iran who are responsible for human rights abuses in the form of politically motivated imprisonment should be held to ac- count, 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 con- tinue to provide assistance to civil society orga- nizations 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 pris- oners; (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 vio- lence 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