; Whereas the United States Government had secured a commitment from the Iranians … to try and gather information about Mr. Levinson’s possible whereabouts but has not received any information thus far; Whereas Nizar Zakka, a United States legal permanent resident alien and Lebanese national, who is also in a weakened physical state, was unlawfully detained on September 18, 2015, in Iran after attending a women’s Arab Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) conference, at Iran’s invitation, and was later falsely charged of being a spy sentenced to 10 years at the Evin prison; Whereas, on April 13, 2017, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned the Tehran Prisons Organization and its former head, Sohrab Soleimani, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer noted The sanctions against human rights abusers in Iran’s prisons come at a time when Iran continues to unjustly detain in its prisons various foreigners, including US citizens Siamak Namazi and Baquer Namazi ; Whereas, on April 25, 2017, at the meeting of the Joint Commission overseeing implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Department of State reported that the United States delegation had raised with the Iranian delegation its serious concerns regarding the cases of U.S. citizens detained and missing in Iran, and called on Iran to immediately release these U.S. citizens so they can be reunited with their families ; Whereas elements of the Iranian regime are reportedly using nationals and dual-nationals from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and other countries to exact political or financial concessions; and Whereas reports indicate that the Government of Iran is seeking additional payments or other concessions, including relief from economic sanctions, from the families of hostages and their governments as a condition of release, a practice banned by the 1979 International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages and other international legal norms: Now, therefore, be it