Title II — Sanctions relating to human rights abuses in Iran

S. 227 · 115th Congress · Jan 24, 2017 · Lineage

II Sanctions relating to human rights abuses in Iran

Sec. 201 Findings

Congress makes the following findings:

(1)

According to Freedom House, none of the elections held in Iran after the Islamic revolution in 1979 have been regarded as free or fair.

(2)

According to the October 2015 report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran continues to execute more individuals per capita than any other country in the world. Executions have been rising at an exponential rate since 2005 and peaked in 2015, when human rights groups reported a shocking 830 executions between January and November 2015, and as many as 1,084 executions during the entire year.

(3)

According to an October 2015 United Nations report on human rights in Iran, “Some 150 Sunni Muslims are in prison on charges related to their beliefs and religion activities. More than 30 are on death row after having been convicted of “enmity against God” in unfair judicial proceedings.”.

(4)

In 2015, Iran was rated as “not free” in a report on the freedom of the press by Freedom House for a lack of flow of independent information and the inability of news outlets, whether through print, broadcast, or the Internet, to operate freely and without fear of repercussions.

(5)

Journalists, social media activists, writers, and human rights activists are routinely arrested and interrogated by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Ministry of Intelligence, and cyber-policing units.

(6)

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists—

(A)

from the 2015 prison census, Iran is one of the leading jailers of journalists, with 19 behind bars;

(B)

Iran ranks as first among countries from which journalists have fled into exile between 2009 and 2015; and

(C)

in 2015, Iran ranked number 7 among the top 10 most censored countries in the world.

(7)

According to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as of January 2014, there were 895 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience unjustly detained in Iran.

(8)

On February 22, 2016, 80-year-old Baquer Namazi, a United States citizen and the father of imprisoned dual United States-Iran citizen Siamak Namazi, was arrested while visiting family in Tehran and taken to Evin Prison without charge. Baquer Namazi suffers from a serious heart condition that requires special medical attention.

(9)

On January 12, 2016, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps unjustly detained 10 United States sailors whose vessel had misnavigated into Iranian territorial waters but had a right to innocent passage under international law. While the United States sailors were released after 16 hours, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps released humiliating videos of the capture of the sailors at gunpoint and their detention for propagandistic purposes.

(10)

On October 15, 2015, Siamak Namazi was arrested while visiting Tehran and detained in Evin Prison, where he remains held by Iranian officials without charge.

(11)

In July 2014, Jason Rezaian, a reporter from the United States working for the Washington Post, was unjustly arrested and held in Iran while his health deteriorated until his release on January 16, 2016.

(12)

On January 27, 2013, Saeed Abedini, a pastor from the United States, was sentenced to an 8-year prison term in Iran based on charges relating to his Christian faith and had been unjustly incarcerated since September 26, 2012, despite serious health issues until his release on January 16, 2016.

(13)

In August 2011, Amir Hekmati, a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States, was unjustly detained while visiting his family in Iran and remained in a prison in Iran on false espionage charges until his release on January 16, 2016.

(14)

In March 2007, Robert Levinson, a former agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, disappeared in Iran during a business trip and Iran has refused to cooperate in the investigation into his disappearance. Mr. Levinson is the longest unjustly held United States citizens in history.

(15)

The principal leaders of the Green Revolution in Iran, Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, have been under house arrest since February 2011.

(16)

The United States has designated Iran as a country of particular concern for religious freedom pursuant to section 402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)) for severe violations of religious freedom in every year from 1999 through 2015.

(17)

In 2015, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom found in its annual report that the Government of Iran “continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused”.

(18)

The Government of Iran continues to propagate anti-Semitism and target members of the Jewish community, and reinstated, in 2014, a Holocaust denial conference, which had been cancelled the previous year.

(19)

On January 27, 2016, as the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei published a video denying the Holocaust on his official website.

(20)

Members of the Baha’i Faith in Iran, estimated to number between 300,000 and 350,000, are not recognized as a religious minority under the Constitution of Iran, enjoy virtually no rights under the law, and are banned from practicing their faith. Throughout 2014 and 2015, Iranian authorities shut down numerous Baha’i-owned businesses across the country.

(21)

More than 100 Baha’is are being held in prison solely because of their religious beliefs, including the Baha’i leaders Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naemi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm.

(22)

Christians, particularly converts and underground house church leaders, face sustained persecution, arrests, legal harassment, and long-term prison sentences. Since 2010, more than 500 Christians have been arrested or detained.

(23)

Officials of the United States have stated that the human rights record of Iran is “abysmal” and the Department of State has reported that there has been “little meaningful improvement in human rights in Iran under the new government, including torture, political imprisonment, and harassment of religious and ethnic minorities”.

(24)

According to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014 of the Department of State, Iranian law states that same-sex sexual activity is punishable by death, flogging, or other punishments. Iranian authorities “harassed, arrested, and detained individuals they suspected of being gay”. While detained, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have reported physical abuse and torture by security officers, including sexual assault and rape.

(25)

The Government of Iran continues to commit egregious human rights abuses against its own citizens in violation of its international obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Sec. 202 Expansion of list of persons involved in human rights abuses in Iran

(a)

In general— Section 105 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514) is amended—

(1)

in the section heading, by striking “certain persons who are responsible for or complicit” and inserting “persons involved”;

(2)

in subsection (b)—

(A)

in the subsection heading, by striking “Who Are Responsible for or Complicit” and inserting “Involved”;

(B)

by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

“(1) In general—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a list of persons the President determines have committed or facilitated, directly or indirectly, human rights abuses or other acts of violence, intimidation, or harassment, on behalf of the Government of Iran on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses or acts occurred in Iran.”

(C)

in paragraph (2)(A), by striking “this Act” and inserting “the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017”; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

“(e) Inclusion of actions that violate universal declaration of human rights—For purposes of subsection (b)(1), the term human rights abuses includes actions that violate the rights listed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted at Paris December 10, 1948.”

(b)

Clerical amendment— The table of contents for the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 is amended by striking the item relating to section 105 and inserting the following:

Sec. 203 Identification of, and imposition of sanctions with respect to, certain Iranian individuals

(a)

In general— Section 221 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8727) is amended to read as follows:

“221. Identification of, and imposition of sanctions with respect to, certain Iranian individuals

“(a) Identification of individuals—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017, and every 180 days thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and publish in the Federal Register a list of all individuals the President determines are described in subsection (b).

“(b) Individuals described—An individual described in this subsection is—

“(1) the Supreme Leader of Iran;

“(2) the President of Iran;

“(3) a current or former key official, manager, or director of an entity that is owned or controlled after November 14, 1979, by—

“(A) the Supreme Leader of Iran;

“(B) the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran;

“(C) the President of Iran;

“(D) the Office of the President of Iran;

“(E) Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps;

“(F) the Basij-e Motaz’afin;

“(G) the Guardian Council;

“(H) the Ministry of Intelligence and Security of Iran;

“(I) the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran;

“(J) the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran;

“(K) the Assembly of Experts of Iran;

“(L) the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics of Iran;

“(M) the Ministry of Justice of Iran;

“(N) the Ministry of Interior of Iran;

“(O) the prison system of Iran;

“(P) the judicial system of Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Courts; or

“(Q) any citizen of Iran included on the list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury;

“(4) a citizen of Iran indicted in a foreign country for, or otherwise suspected of, participation in a terrorist attack;

“(5) an individual involved in the kidnapping or unjust detention of a United States citizen, including a United States citizen who is also a citizen of another country; or

“(6) a politically exposed individual associated with an individual described in any of paragraphs (1) through (5) who is not a United States person.

“(c) Exclusion from united states—Except as provided in subsection (f), the Secretary of State shall deny a visa to, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall exclude from the United States, any alien who is on the list required by subsection (a).

“(d) Blocking of property—Except as provided in subsection (f), the President shall block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of any individual who is on the list required by subsection (a) if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person.

“(e) Report

“(1) In general—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017, and every 90 days thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes the efforts the President has taken during the 90 days preceding the submission of the report to locate and block all property and interests in property of any individual who is on the list required by subsection (a).

“(2) Form of report—Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex if necessary.

“(f) Exceptions

“(1) In general—The President may not include an individual on the list required by subsection (a) if the President determines that, during the 10-year period preceding the determination, the individual has not in any way engaged in, facilitated, or otherwise supported—

“(A) human rights abuses;

“(B) acts of international terrorism; or

“(C) the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

“(2) Compliance with united nations headquarters agreement—Subsection (c) shall not apply to the head of state of Iran, or necessary staff of that head of state, if admission to the United States is necessary to permit the United States to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and the United States.

“(g) Waiver

“(1) In general—The President may waive the application of subsection (c) or (d) with respect to an individual for a period of 180 days, and may renew that waiver for additional periods of 180 days, if the President—

“(A) determines that the waiver is vital to the national security of the United States; and

“(B) not less than 7 days before the waiver or the renewal of the waiver, as the case may be, takes effect, submits a report to the appropriate congressional committees on the waiver and the reason for the waiver.

“(2) Limitation on waiver authority—The President may not exercise the waiver authority provided under paragraph (1) to implement any international agreement with Iran unless, before exercising the waiver authority, the agreement is approved through the enactment of a joint resolution or the Senate provides its advice and consent with respect to the agreement pursuant to section 2 of article II of the Constitution of the United States.

“(3) Form of report—Each report submitted under paragraph (1)(B) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex if necessary.

“(h) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) Own or control—The term own or control means, with respect to an entity—

“(A) to hold more than 25 percent of the equity interest by vote or value in the entity;

“(B) to hold any seats on the board of directors of the entity; or

“(C) to otherwise control the actions, policies, or personnel decisions of the entity.

“(2) Politically exposed individual

“(A) In general—The term politically exposed individual includes a current or former senior political figure, the immediate family of such a figure, and close associates of such a figure.

“(B) Additional definitions—For purposes of subparagraph (A):

“(i) Close associate—The term close associate, with respect to a senior political figure—

“(I) means an individual who is widely and publicly known to maintain an unusually close relationship with the senior political figure; and

“(II) includes an individual who is in a position to conduct substantial domestic and international financial transactions on behalf of the senior political figure.

“(ii) Immediate family—The term immediate family, with respect to a senior foreign political figure, means the parents, siblings, spouse, children, and in-laws of the senior political figure.

“(iii) Senior political figure—The term senior political figure means a senior official in the executive, legislative, administrative, military, or judicial branches of the Government of Iran (whether elected or not), a senior official of a major political party in Iran, or a senior executive of an entity owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.”

(b)

Clerical amendment— The table of contents for the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.) is amended by striking the item relating to section 221 and inserting the following:

Sec. 204 Imposition of sanctions with respect to persons who conduct transactions with or on behalf of certain Iranian individuals

(a)

In general— Subtitle B of title II of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8721 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 221 the following:

“221A. Imposition of sanctions with respect to persons who conduct transactions with or on behalf of certain Iranian individuals

“(a) Sale, supply, or transfer of goods and services—The President shall impose five or more of the sanctions described in section 6(a) of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) with respect to a person that knowingly, on or after the date that is 120 days after the date of the enactment of the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017, sells, supplies, or transfers goods or services to an individual who is on the list required by section 221(a).

“(b) Facilitation of certain transactions—The President shall prohibit the opening, and prohibit or impose strict conditions on the maintaining, in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by any foreign financial institution that has knowingly conducted or facilitated a significant financial transaction on behalf of an individual who is on the list required by section 221(a).

“(c) Waiver

“(1) In general—The President may waive the application of subsection (a) or (b) with respect to a person for a period of 180 days, and may renew that waiver for additional periods of 180 days, if the President—

“(A) determines that the waiver is vital to the national security of the United States; and

“(3) Form of report—Each report submitted under paragraph (1)(B) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex if necessary.

“(d) Application of certain provisions of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996—The following provisions of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) shall apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions under subsection (a) to the same extent that such provisions apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions under section 5(a) of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996:

“(1) Subsections (c), (d), and (f) of section 5.

“(2) Section 8.

“(3) Section 11.

“(4) Section 12.

“(5) Section 13(b).

“(e) Definitions—In this Act:

“(1) Account; correspondent account; payable-through account—The terms account, correspondent account, and payable-through account have the meanings given those terms in section 5318A of title 31, United States Code.

“(2) Foreign financial institution—The term foreign financial institution has the meaning given that term in section 561.308 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation or ruling).”

(b)

Clerical amendment— The table of contents for the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 221 the following:

Sec. 205 Mandatory sanctions with respect to financial institutions that engage in certain transactions on behalf of persons involved in human rights abuses or that export sensitive technology to Iran

(a)

In general— Section 104(c)(2) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8513(c)(2)) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (D), by striking “or” at the end;

(2)

in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

“(F) facilitates a significant transaction or transactions or provides significant financial services for—

“(i) a person that is subject to sanctions under section 105(c), 105A(c), 105B(c), or 105C(a); or

“(ii) a person that exports sensitive technology to Iran and is subject to the prohibition on procurement contracts as described in section 106.”

(b)

Effective date— The amendments made by subsection (a) take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and apply with respect to any activity described in subparagraph (F) of section 104(c)(2) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, as added by subsection (a)(3), initiated on or after the date that is 90 days after such date of enactment.

(c)

Regulations— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe regulations to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a).

Sec. 206 United States support for the people of Iran

(a)

In general— Subtitle B of title IV of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8751 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“416. United States support for the people of Iran

“(a) Policy of the United States—It is the policy of the United States—

“(1) to support the efforts of the people of Iran to promote the establishment of basic freedoms in Iran;

“(2) to lay the foundation for the emergence of a freely elected, open, and democratic political system in Iran that is not a threat to its neighbors or to the United States and to work with all citizens of Iran who seek to establish such a political system;

“(3) to support the emergence of a government in Iran that does not oppress the people of Iran and does not persecute, intimidate, arrest, imprison, or execute dissidents or minorities;

“(4) to advocate on behalf of those in Iran persecuted for their religion or belief;

“(5) to assist the people of Iran to produce, access, and share information freely and safely through the Internet and other media; and

“(6) to defeat all attempts by the Government of Iran to jam or otherwise obstruct international satellite broadcast signals.

“(b) Sense of Congress—It is the sense of Congress that—

“(1) the United States should support citizens of Iran that actively work to advance political, economic, and social reforms, including freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and representative government;

“(2) the President should use all available nonviolent means to support citizens of Iran that advocate for pluralistic, prosperous, and participatory societies;

“(3) programs of the Department of State to support reform in Iran have not resulted in a more democratic Iran;

“(4) the Government of Iran continues to play a pernicious role in the Middle East, undermining democratic consolidation in Iraq, supporting international terrorism through Hezbollah, and aiding the autocratic regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria;

“(5) the Secretary of State should make every effort to deliver support directly to people working in Iran to implement programs carried out using assistance provided by the Department of State when possible and all possible means of delivering such assistance should be used; and

“(6) oversight, management, and implementation of programs of the Department of State to support reform in Iran should be under the direction of the Special Coordinator on Human Rights and Democracy in Iran established under section 207 of the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

“(c) Assistance To support reform in Iran

“(1) Assistance authorized—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of State may provide assistance (including through the award of grants) to individuals and entities working in Iran for the purpose of supporting and promoting the rule of law, good governance, civil society, and economic opportunity in Iran.

“(2) Eligibility for assistance—Assistance authorized under this subsection should be provided only to an individual or entity that—

“(A) officially opposes the use of violence and terrorism and has not been designated as a foreign terrorist organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189) at any time during the 4-year period ending on the date of the enactment of the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017;

“(B) advocates the adherence by Iran to nonproliferation regimes for nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and materiel, and ballistic missiles;

“(C) is dedicated to democratic values and supports the adoption of a democratic form of government in Iran;

“(D) is dedicated to respect for human rights, including the fundamental equality of women; and

“(E) supports freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion.

“(3) Notification requirement—Not later than 15 days before each obligation of assistance under this subsection, the Secretary of State shall notify the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives in accordance with the procedures applicable to reprogramming notifications under section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2394–1).

“(4) Authorization of appropriations—Of the amounts made available to carry out chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.; relating to the Economic Support Fund) for fiscal year 2015, not less than $32,000,000 shall be made available to the Secretary of State to carry out this subsection.

“(5) Termination—The authority to provide assistance under this subsection shall expire on December 31, 2020.

“(d) Reports

“(1) In general—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of this section that includes the following:

“(A) An identification of the actions the President has taken during the 180-day period immediately preceding the submission of the report to advance each of the policies described in subsection (a).

“(B) A clear strategy for advancing political, economic, and social reform in Iran that includes benchmarks for success that lead to a set of identified discrete goals and objectives.

“(C) A plan to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision of assistance authorized under subsection (c), including measures of effectiveness.

“(D) The status of the programming of assistance under subsection (c).

“(E) An analysis of any past programming of assistance under subsection (c) and its effectiveness with respect to supporting and promoting the rule of law, good governance, civil society, and economic opportunity in Iran.

“(2) Form of report—Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex if necessary.”

(b)

Clerical amendment— The table of contents for the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 415 the following:

Sec. 207 United States Special Coordinator on Human Rights and Democracy in Iran

(a)

Designation— The President shall designate within the Department of State a Special Coordinator on Human Rights and Democracy in Iran (in this section referred to as the “Special Coordinator”).

(b)

Consultation and qualifications— Before the President designates a Special Coordinator under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall consult with the chairmen and ranking members of the appropriate congressional committees. The role of Special Coordinator should be filled by an official of the Department of State appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the President in a position not lower than Under Secretary on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c)

Duties— The Special Coordinator shall carry out the following duties:

(1)

Coordinate the activities of the United States Government that promote human rights, democracy, political freedom, and religious freedom inside Iran.

(2)

Coordinate the activities of the United States Government that promote human rights, political freedom, and religious freedom for Iranian refugees and asylees living outside Iran.

(3)

Ensure the comprehensive investigation and designation of Iranian human rights abusers in accordance with section 105 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514).

(4)

Coordinate the documentation and publicizing of political dissidents and cases of human rights abuse inside Iran.

(5)

Coordinate multilateral efforts to build international support for the promotion of human rights, democracy, political freedom, and religious freedom in Iran, including broadcasting, Internet access, and dissemination of information.

(6)

Encourage the United Nations, multilateral organizations, and human rights nongovernmental organizations to more robustly investigate and report on human rights abuses in Iran.

(7)

Encourage foreign governments to downgrade or sever diplomatic relations with the Government of Iran, enact economic sanctions, and assist Iranian dissidents in response to the continued violations of human rights by the Government of Iran.

(8)

Encourage foreign governments to expel Iran from international fora and organizations with a human rights component, including the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the International Labour Organization.

(9)

Coordinate all programs funded under the Iran Freedom Support Act (Public Law 109–293; 22 U.S.C. 2151 note).

(d)

Authority—

(1)

Coordination of activities— The Special Coordinator shall coordinate all activities related to Iran carried out by the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the Department of State, the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

(2)

Coordination of use of funds— The Special Coordinator shall coordinate and oversee the obligation and expenditure of funds related to human rights, democracy, Internet freedom, and broadcasting activities in Iran, including funds made available for such purposes to the Middle East Partnership Initiative, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative, the Human Rights and Democracy Fund, and the Near Eastern Regional Democracy Fund.

(e)

Diplomatic representation— Subject to the direction of the President and the Secretary of State, the Special Coordinator shall represent the United States in matters and cases relevant to the promotion of human rights, democracy, political freedom, and religious freedom in Iran in—

(1)

contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental organizations, and specialized agencies of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and other international organizations of which the United States is a member; and

(2)

multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to the promotion of human rights, democracy, political freedom, and religious freedom in Iran.

(f)

Consultations— The Special Coordinator shall consult with Congress, domestic and international nongovernmental organizations, labor organizations, and multilateral organizations and institutions as the Special Coordinator considers appropriate to fulfill the purposes of this section.

(g)

Funding— From amounts made available for the Department of State for Near East Affairs in fiscal years before fiscal year 2016, the Secretary of State shall provide to the Special Coordinator such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016 for the hiring of staff, for the conduct of investigations, and for necessary travel to carry out this section.

(h)

Appropriate congressional committees defined— In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—

(1)

the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and

(2)

the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

Sec. 208 Broadcasting to Iran

(a)

In general— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of America services broadcasting to Iran shall—

(1)

provide news and information that is accessible, credible, comprehensive, and accurate;

(2)

emphasize investigative and analytical journalism provided by Iranian or pro-Iranian media outlets; and

(3)

strengthen civil society by promoting democratic processes, respect for human rights, and freedom of the press and expression.

(b)

Programming surge— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America programming to Iran shall—

(1)

provide programming content 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to target populations using all available and effective distribution outlets, including at least 12 hours a day of original television and video content, not including live video streaming of breaking news;

(2)

create mobile platforms with an embedded proxy to offer the people of Iran the opportunity to securely listen to programming;

(3)

increase number of staffers based in the region to allow for more direct contact with the people of Iran;

(4)

expand the use, audience, and audience engagement of mobile news and multimedia platforms by the Voice of America and the Radio Farda service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, including through Internet-based social networking platforms; and

(5)

establish fellowships for Iranian journalists who have fled the country to learn about free, competitive media and be trained in surrogate reporting.

(c)

Authorization of appropriations— There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2017, in addition to funds otherwise made available for such purposes, $10,000,000 to carry out Iran-focused programming by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of America, for the purpose of bolstering existing United States programming to the people of Iran and increasing programming capacity and jamming circumvention technology to overcome any disruptions to service.

Sec. 209 Report on United States citizens detained by Iran

(a)

In general— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on United States citizens, including dual citizens, detained by Iran or groups supported by Iran that includes—

(1)

information regarding any officials of the Government of Iran involved in any way in the detentions; and

(2)

a summary of efforts the United States Government has taken to secure the swift release of those United States citizens, including United States citizens who are also citizens of other countries.

(b)

Form of report— The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex if necessary.

(c)

Appropriate congressional committees defined— In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees has the meaning given that term in section 14 of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note).

Sec. 210 Sense of Congress on establishment of multilateral mechanism to promote human rights in Iran

It is the sense of Congress that the United States should work with the European Union and other countries with a common commitment to fundamental rights and freedoms to explore the possibility of establishing a formal multilateral mechanism to advocate for the promotion of human rights, democracy, political freedom, and religious freedom in Iran.

Sec. 211 Sense of Congress on role of the United Nations in promoting human rights in Iran

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

the United Nations has a significant role to play in promoting and improving human rights in Iran;

(2)

the United States should continue to support the work of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; and

(3)

the egregious human rights violations in Iran warrant country-specific attention and continued reporting by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes, and consequences, of the United Nations.