[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 58 Referred in House (RFH)]

  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 58


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 9, 1997

          Referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas the Russian legislature approved a bill ``On Freedom of Conscience and 
        Religious Association'', and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed it 
        into law on September 26;
Whereas under the new law, the Russian government exercises almost unrestricted 
        control over the activities of both Russian and international religious 
        groups;
Whereas the new law will grant privileged status to some religions while 
        discriminating against others through restrictive reporting and 
        registration requirements;
Whereas the new law jeopardizes religious rights by permitting government 
        officials, in consultation with privileged religious groups, to deny or 
        revoke the registration of minority religions and order their possible 
        disbandment or prohibition, on the basis of such activities as home 
        schooling, nonmedical forms of healing, ``hypnotic'' sermons, and other 
        vaguely defined offenses;
Whereas the law also restricts foreign missionary work in Russia;
Whereas under the new law, religious organizations or churches that wish to 
        continue their activities in Russia will have to provide confirmation 
        that they have existed at least 15 years, and only those who legally 
        operated 50 years ago may be recognized as national ``Russian'' 
        religious organizations;
Whereas although Article 14 of the Russian Constitution stipulates that 
        ``religious associations are separate from the state and are equal 
        before the law'', Article 19 states that restriction of citizens' rights 
        on grounds of religious affiliation are prohibited, and Article 28 
        stipulates that ``each person is guaranteed freedom of conscience and 
        freedom ...to choose, hold, and disseminate religious and other 
        convictions and to act in accordance with them'', the new law clearly 
        violates these provisions of the Russian Constitution;
Whereas the Russian religion law violates accepted international agreements on 
        human rights and religious freedoms to which the Russian Federation is a 
        signatory, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 
        International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Helsinki Final 
        Act and Madrid and Vienna Concluding Documents, and the European 
        Convention on Human Rights;
Whereas governments have a primary responsibility to promote, encourage, and 
        protect respect for the fundamental and internationally recognized right 
        to freedom of religion; and
Whereas the United States Government is committed to the right to freedom of 
        religion and its policies, and should encourage foreign governments to 
        commit to this principle: Now, therefore, be it--
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress hereby--
            (1) condemns the newly passed Russian antireligion law 
        restricting freedom of religion, and violating international 
        norms, international treaties to which the Russian Federation 
        is a signatory, and the Constitution of Russia;
            (2) recommends that President Clinton make the United 
        States position clear to President Yeltsin and the Russian 
        legislature that this antireligion law may seriously harm 
        United States-Russian relations;
            (3) calls upon President Yeltsin and the Russian 
        legislature to uphold their international commitments on human 
        rights, abide by the Russian Constitution's guarantee of 
        freedom of religion, and reconsider their position by amending 
        the new antireligion law and lifting all restrictions on 
        freedom of religion; and
            (4) calls upon all governments and legislatures of the 
        independent states of the former Soviet Union to respect 
        religious human rights in accordance with their international 
        commitments and resist efforts to adopt the Russian 
        discriminatory law.

            Passed the Senate November 8, 1997.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.