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