Speech #960325348

The U.S.S.R. is a signatory to a long list of international agreements on human rights. including: The U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (article 12 of which specifies the right to leave ones own country). the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (which formally recognized the right to "profess and practice religion or belief in accordance with the dictates of conscience"). articles 1 and 55 of the Charter of the United Nations. articles 13 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. and perhaps most hypocritical of all. article 52 of the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republicswhich states that citizens of the U.S.S.R. "are guaranteed freedom of conscience. that is. the right to profess any religion * * * and to perform any religious worship." The Soviet Union must be put on notice that the United States regards Soviet disrespect of international agreements and the systematic violation of human rights as unacceptable behavior for a 20th century state. The persecution of Soviet "believers" must be stopped and their right to emigrate must be recognized. The reverent worship of God cannot be replaced with ideological kowtowing. Given the plight of the seven Pentecostalists. and that of all "believers" in the Soviet Union.