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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 352 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 352

 Expressing support for the designation of a ``Prisoners of Conscience 
                                 Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 8, 2015

   Mr. Pitts (for himself and Mr. McGovern) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing support for the designation of a ``Prisoners of Conscience 
                                 Day''.

Whereas thousands of people around the world are prisoners of conscience: 
        persons imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their political, 
        religious, or other conscientiously held beliefs, or for their identity, 
        even though they have neither used nor advocated violence;
Whereas international standards protect human rights and the fundamental 
        freedoms of all individuals worldwide;
Whereas the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights refers to the 
        equal rights of men and women;
Whereas the Universal Declaration declares in Article 2 that everyone is 
        entitled to all the rights and freedoms it sets forth without 
        distinction of any kind; and in Article 3 that everyone has the right to 
        life, liberty, and security of person; and in Article 9 that no one 
        shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile;
Whereas Article 18 of the Universal Declaration states that: ``Everyone has the 
        right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right 
        includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either 
        alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest 
        his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance'';
Whereas Article 19 of the Universal Declaration states that: ``Everyone has the 
        right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom 
        to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart 
        information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers'';
Whereas Article 20 (1) of the Universal Declaration states that: ``Everyone has 
        the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association'';
Whereas prisoners of conscience are imprisoned, often tortured and sometimes 
        executed, because their governments view as unacceptable who they are, 
        what they believe, and how they have chosen to express their 
        convictions;
Whereas governments imprison prisoners of conscience for many reasons including 
        to restrict the flow of information, narrow the space for independent 
        civil society, diminish the power of the people to express their views, 
        and prevent challenges to their authority;
Whereas prisoners of conscience include artists, bloggers, community activists, 
        dissidents, journalists, human rights activists, lawyers, labor leaders, 
        teachers, religious leaders, and members of religious communities;
Whereas through the Defending Freedoms Project of the Tom Lantos Human Rights 
        Commission of the United States House of Representatives, undertaken in 
        collaboration with the United States Commission on International 
        Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and Amnesty International/USA, Members of 
        Congress advocate on behalf of prisoners of conscience from around the 
        world and shine a light on them and the governments of the countries 
        that have imprisoned them;
Whereas the goals of the Defending Freedoms Project are, at a minimum, to help 
        improve the conditions under which prisoners of conscience are held, and 
        ideally, secure their freedom, while encouraging countries to implement 
        needed reforms consistent with internationally approved human rights 
        standards; and
Whereas a Prisoners of Conscience Day would underscore the importance of 
        prioritizing the protection for and freedom of prisoners of conscience 
        as a United States foreign policy goal: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls for the designation of a Prisoners of Conscience 
        Day;
            (2) requests that the President of the United States issue 
        a proclamation recognizing ``Prisoners of Conscience Day'';
            (3) encourages Members of Congress to raise individual 
        prisoner of conscience cases in Congress, with the executive 
        branch, with their constituents, to foreign governments and 
        multilateral organizations, and during delegation trips abroad;
            (4) encourages the United States Government to implement 
        policies and robustly support programs promoting human rights, 
        including religious and political freedom, the rule of law, and 
        the protection of individuals and organizations at risk;
            (5) encourages the United States Government to undertake 
        specific actions directed at countries that detain prisoners of 
        conscience in violation of international standards; and
            (6) urges that human rights advocacy on behalf of prisoners 
        of conscience be pursued consistently and publicly at every 
        level of United States foreign policy and in all bilateral and 
        multilateral engagement, so that laws and policies are brought 
        into conformity with international commitments and human rights 
        standards.
                                 <all>
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