Thank you for that question. Again, I commend Ms. Box for her response on the particulars with respect to the Bahá'ís.
Number one, with regard to sanctions, I believe we should support sanctions under subsection 4(1) of the Special Economic Measures Act, otherwise known as SEMA, against the major human rights violators in Iran, be it those who are complicit in the wanton executions and who continue to engage in these with impunity, those engaged in the imprisonment of political prisoners, or those involved in the assaults on the Bahá'ís and the like, and put them on notice that they will be held accountable before the law. If they know they can continue in their violations with impunity, this invites them to continue to do so, and we effectively become enablers of that by not sanctioning them for their violations.
Two, I think that this committee, which has been engaged in hearings, is aware of the proposal for global justice via Sergei Magnitsky legislation, which would have the effect of sanctioning human rights violators, first, by at least excluding them from coming into our country, and second, by not allowing them to launder their proceeds in our country. Regrettably, some of that has happened with regard to people who have come and laundered their proceeds in this country, including those from Iran.
Number three, we need to urge and call upon Iran to permit the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran to be able to visit the country.
Thus far, the special rapporteur has been excluded, whether it be to visit the prisons, to interview political prisoners, or to monitor the situation with regard to Bahá'í. The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran has not yet been permitted to come to Iran, nor to have any of the other United Nations special procedure people, be it the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; or the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.
None of them have been allowed to come into Iran, so the culture of impunity continues by their exclusion.
Finally—this is in respect of the question of Mr. Housefather and others—we should urge not only the Iranian regime but also the international community to ensure that the rights of all Iranians to run for elected office are respected, and that the elections in Iran are free and fair.
We need to increase the transparency of the Iranian electoral process by allowing elections to be monitored by independent domestic and international elections observers. This has not taken place in the parliamentary elections, and it's not taking place in the upcoming presidential elections.
I remind you that we are now in the sixth year of imprisonment of the leaders of the democratic opposition in Iran, who remain under house arrest, a standing impunity which continues to be indulged.