Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 5.djvu/892

 102 STAT. 4898

CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—AUG. 8, 1988

of all its nationals, including members of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest religious minority; Whereas the Congress has condemned the Government of Iran's actions against Baha'is on account of their religious beliefs, and has urged the President to work with appropriate foreign governments and with the United Nations in efforts to appeal to the Government of Iran concerning the Baha'is; Whereas nearly 200 Iranian Baha'is, including many elected leaders of the religious community, have been executed since 1979, on account of their religious beliefs, thousands more have been imprisoned, and many subjected to torture and demands for recantation of their religious faith; and Whereas the Government of Iran has not only undertaken to deprive Baha'is of civil, economic, and social rights, but also has in many cases confiscated Baha'i community and personal property and denied access for Baha'is to education, employment, pensions, insurance, and other benefits available to other Iranians: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring). That the Congress— (1) continues to hold the Government of Iran responsible for upholding the rights of all its nationals, including Baha'is, in a manner consistent with that Government's obligations under international agreements guaranteeing the civil and political rights of its citizens; (2) welcomes reports of the recent release of Baha'is from prisons in Iran and takes note of the decline in the numbers of Baha'is and others executed in that country; (3) expresses the hope that these developments may indicate a greater willingness on the part of the Government of Iran to act in a manner consistent with its obligations under the various international agreements to which it is a party; (4) urges the Government of Iran to restore fully the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including freedom of thought, conscience and religion, education, and equal protection of the law; and (5) calls upon the President— (A) to continue to observe and report on developments affecting the Baha'i minority in Iran, and to monitor developments affecting Baha'is in countries in which their rights might be abridged on account of their religious beliefs; (B) to cooperate with other governments in continuing to make appeals to the Government of Iran concerning the situation of the Baha'is; (C) to initiate and support efforts in the United Nations and its agencies on behalf of measures to promote the protection of the religious rights of Baha'is; and (D) to provide, and to urge others to provide, for refugee and humanitarian assistance for those Baha'is who flee their homelands for reasons of religious repression. SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this concurrent resolution to the President. Agreed to August 8, 1988.

�