E/CN.4/1989/44 paqe 45 "In accordance with believers* demands, the State handed over to the Church buildings of reliqious worship makinq part of the Kiev Pechora Monastery Museum, the Optina Pustyn Monastery in the Kaluqa reqion, the Tolqa Monastery in the Yaroslavl reqion, and relics from the museums in the Kremlin. In the first half of this year, dozens of reconstructed churches were handed over to religious associations of citizens, while construction of new temples also began. "Markinq another major event in Soviet life, celebrations were held in 1987 to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the adoption of the Catholic faith in Lithuania. "While followinq a steady policy of qenuine enforcement of the principle of freedom of conscience, the USSR upholds the establishment and development of a constructive international dialogue on these problems. ... This is why the Soviet Union was among the sponsors of the proposal to work out an international convention on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief. ... it ... "The assertion to the effect that believers of various denominations, includinq those of unregistered sects (e.q. Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Krishnaites, Seventh Day Adventists), are victims of harassment and discrimination is incorrect. Soviet citizens are equal before the law and enjoy the full scale of riqhts guaranteed by the Constitution of the USSR reqardless of their attitude towards religion. Moreover, article 142 of the Penal Code of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic (RSFSR) and similar articles in the Codes of the other Union Republics establish the criminal responsibility of officials for refusing a citizen's application for employment or enrolment in an educational institution, or dismissinq a citizen from work or an educational institution, or denying a citizen benefits and privileges established under the law, or otherwise hindering a citizen's rights on the ground of his or her attitude to religion. The acts of those who obstruct the celebration of religious rites are also punishable, unless these disturb public order or entail encroachments upon the riqhts of citizens (RSFSR, Penal Code, art. 141 and similar articles in the Penal Codes of the other Union Republics). "The allegation that the teaching of the Jewish language is only possible on an illegal basis does not accord with the facts. "Concerning the reqistration of religious associations as provided for in Soviet legislation, it is a mere formality by which the State recognizes associations of believers. Religious communities become legal persons from the moment of their reqistration. It is not the citizens upholdinq reliqious beliefs who are subject to reqistration, but their associations, which thereby acquire the riqhts of a leqal person and the protection of the law.