A joint resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of the Soviet Union should respect the rights of its citizens to practice their religion and to emigrate, and that these matters should be among the issues raised at the 38th meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights at Geneva in February 1982.
PL 97-157 (H.J.Res.373), enacted 03/22/1982

96 STAT. 16 
PUBLIC LAW 97-157—MAR. 22, 1982 
Public Law 97-157 
97th Congress 
Mar. 22, 1982 
[H.J. Res. 373] 
United Nations 
Commission on 
Human Rights, 
Geneva, 1982. 
U.S. delegation. 
Joint Resolution 
Expressing the sense of Con^ss that the Government of the Soviet Union should 
respect the rights of its citizens to practice their religion and to emigrate, and 
that these matters should be among the issues raised at the thirty-eighth meeting 
of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights at Geneva in February 1982. 
Whereas the Soviet authorities have mounted a triple assault on 
their Jewish community, (1) the number of Jews allowed to emi-
grate has been reduced from a high of four thousand seven hun-
dred and forty-six in the month of October 1979 to a total of only 
nine thousand four hundred in all of 1981, the lowest number 
since emigration began, (2) frequent harassments, arrests, and 
trials have become an almost daily occurrence, and (3) unparal-
leled assaults on Jewish self-study groups occur in the major 
urban areas; and 
Whereas such harassment and obstacles to free movement violate 
the obligations of the Soviet Union to respect the rights of free-
dom of thought, conscience, expression, religion, and emigration, 
as provided for in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the 
Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in 
Europe at Helsinki, and the Constitution of the Union of Soviet 
Socialist Republics: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is the 
sense of the Congress that— 
(1) the President should instruct the United States delega-
tion to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights 
meeting in Geneva in February 1982 to carry to the Commis-
sion the message that the Soviet Union should respect the 
rights of its citizens to practice their religion and to emigrate, 
should stop its harassments, arrests, and trials of the members 
of its Jewish community, and should stop its assaults on 
Jewish self-study groups; 
(2) the Government of the Soviet Union should comply with 
its obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
Rights, the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Coop-
eration in Europe at Helsinki, and the Constitution of the 
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, by ceasing the indiscrimi-
nate arrests and trials of Jewish activists, by ending the 
assaults on Jewish self-study groups, and by opening its doors 
to those who wish to emigrate; 
(3) the President should express to the Government of the 
Soviet Union the strong and continuing opposition of the 
United States to such harassment of its citizenry, and the 
obstacles it presents to those who wish to emigrate; and 
(4) the President should reiterate to the Government of the 
Soviet Union that the United States, in evaluating its relations 
PUBLIC LAW 97-157—MAR. 22, 1982 
96 STAT. 17 
with other nations, will consider the extent to which they 
honor their commitments under international law, particularly 
their commitments concerning human rights. 
SEC. 2. The President shall transmit copies of this resolution to 
the Ambassador of the Soviet Union to the United States and to 
the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. 
Approved March 22, 1982. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.J. Res. 373 (S.J. Res. 154): 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 128 (1982): 
Mar. 2, considered and passed House. 
Mar. 4, S.J. Res. 154 considered in Senate; H.J. Res. 373 considered and passed 
Senate. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 18, No. 12 (1982): 
Mar. 22, Presidential statement.