Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 6.djvu/766

 104 STAT. 5156 CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—MAY 15, 1990 Baha'is, including the execution of more than 200 Baha'is and the imprisonment of additional thousands on account of their religious beliefs; Wheresis the Congress has urged the President to work with other governments and with the United Nations in support of the rights of Iranian Baha'is; Whereas recent reports indicate a decline in the numbers of Baha'is executed or imprisoned in Iran and the restoration of some confiscated business and personal properties; and Whereas, despite such actions affecting individual Baha'is, the Government of Iran continues to deny the Baha'i community the right to organize, select its leaders, acquire and maintain places of worship or assembly, operate religious schools, and conduct other religious activities: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 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 law which guarantee the civil and political rights of its citizens; (2) acknowledges reports of recent improvements in the treatment of individual Baha'is, including a decline in the number of executions and the release of many Baha'is imprisoned on religious charges; (3) expresses concern that the Baha'i community as a whole remains an oppressed minority which is denied legal recognition and internationaly recognized rights which would permit Baha'is to organize, hold property, operate religious schools, and conduct the normal activities of a peaceful law-abiding religious community; (4) urges the Government of Iran to extend to the Baha'i community the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights accords, including freedom of thought, conscience and religion, education, and equal protection of the law; and (5) calls upon the President to continue— (A) to emphasize the need for improvements in the Government of Iran's human rights practices, particularly Iran's treatment of Baha'is and other religious minorities, as an important factor in the development of the United States Government's relations with the Government of Iran; (B) to encourage other governments to continue to appeal to the Government of Iran concerning the situation of the Baha'is; (C) to cooperate with other governments and international organizations in joint appeals and to initiate and support actions by the United Nations and its agencies 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 on account of religious repression. Agreed to May 15, 1990.

�