Resolution on religious freedom
28. 5. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 150/385 Thursday 11 February 1999 1. Insists once again that Leonard Peltier be granted presidential executive clemency; Insists that Leonard Peltier be transferred to a hospital where he may receive appropriate medical 2. treatment; Reiterates its call for an investigation into the judicial improprieties involved in Mr Peltier’s 3. conviction; Instructs its Delegation for relations with the United States to raise the case of Leonard Peltier at its 4. next meeting with its American counterparts; Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the US Congress 5. and the President of the United States. (c) B4-0131, 0132 and 0189/99 The European Parliament, Resolution on religious freedom − having regard to its previous resolutions on cases of religious persecution in various countries, − having regard to Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations of 10 December 1948, as well as Article 2(2) of the International Agreement on economic, social and cultural rights and Article 27 of the International Agreement on civil and political rights, A. deeply anxious about increasing persecution of religious minorities and limitations on freedom of opinion in various countries, B. disturbed by evidence of xenophobia and racism linked to religious persecution, C. noting that Article 25 of the Constitution of India guarantees freedom of religion, and noting the existence of implementing legislation for human rights, and applauding the Prime Minister’s speech to the nation of 30 January 1999, supporting this and opposing sectarian violence, D. deeply shocked in particular by news of the persecution of Christians in India by extremist groups, especially in Gujerat, and the murder of the Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two children, the latest of many acts of violence against Christians, Moslems and other religious minorities, and concerned that these attacks are incited by the anti-Christian, anti-Moslem as well as anti-Sikh and anti-Jain rhetoric of extremist groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which has publicly stated its intention to bring all forms of religious conversion to an end in India by the year 2000, 1. Calls on the governments of those countries where persecution of religious minorities is taking place to respect the international agreements and their basic principles of which they are signatories, as well as respecting the relevant human rights clauses in the various treaties that they have signed with the European Union, and calls on these governments to put in place the necessary measures for the effective protection of religious minorities living in their territories; Calls on the Indian authorities to make every effort to ensure that the murderers of the missionary, 2. Graham Staines, are identified and brought to justice; 3. Calls on the Commission and Council to ensure that the relevant human rights clauses in treaty agreements are rigorously implemented, and calls on the governments of the Member States to take account of this in their bilateral relations; Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council, the Government 4. and Parliament of India and the Secretary General of the United Nations Organisation