[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 404 Received in Senate (RDS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 404


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            October 11 (legislative day, September 22), 2000

                                Received

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Calling for the immediate release of Mr. Edmond Pope from prison in the 
  Russian Federation for humanitarian reasons, and for other purposes.

Whereas Mr. Edmond Pope of State College, Pennsylvania, is a husband, father, 
        grandfather, son, and United States businessman;
Whereas Edmond Pope has visited the Russian Federation 27 times in order to 
        foster better business and university-based research relationships;
Whereas Edmond Pope traveled to the Russian Federation in late March 2000 in 
        order to purchase commercially advertised underwater propulsion 
        technology, as stated in his visa approved by the Government of the 
        Russian Federation;
Whereas Edmond Pope was arrested on April 3, 2000, in Moscow, imprisoned in 
        Lefortovo, and charged with espionage;
Whereas the Russian who allegedly committed an act of treason by aiding Edmond 
        Pope was released and has been living with his family;
Whereas Edmond Pope has been treated for hemangiopericytoma, a rare form of 
        cancer, that was in remission prior to his travel;
Whereas Edmond Pope's father is dying of multiple myeloma, a type of bone cancer 
        that can be hereditary;
Whereas Edmond Pope should receive routine medical care by a qualified, trained 
        professional in order to monitor the possibility of a recurrence of 
        cancer due to his high-risk potential;
Whereas Edmond Pope has missed his annual monitoring visit resulting in a 14 
        month lapse since his last visit;
Whereas Edmond Pope's prison conditions have caused a dramatic loss in weight 
        and his physical stature has deteriorated;
Whereas Edmond Pope has been denied the basic human right of proper medical 
        attention deserving of an individual in his condition;
Whereas two Americans have died in the past few months within prisons in the 
        Russian Federation and another individual has recently died in 
        Lefortovo;
Whereas Edmond Pope has been unjustly arrested and detained for more than 5 
        months, preventing him from celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary and 
        the marriage of his son, and during which time his mother-in-law passed 
        away;
Whereas recent events have shown that trials in the Russian Federation involving 
        alleged violations in the area of national security can take several 
        years;
Whereas it is unlikely that Edmond Pope would survive a lengthy trial; and
Whereas United States business and academic interests with the Russian 
        Federation are beginning to be detrimentally impacted by this event: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) the Congress calls on the Russian Federation, under the 
        leadership of President Vladimir Putin, to immediately release 
        Mr. Edmond Pope of State College, Pennsylvania, and to ensure 
        that proper and qualified medical attention is provided to him 
        in order to ensure that another loss of life does not occur in 
        a prison in the Russian Federation;
            (2) it is the sense of the Congress that if Edmond Pope is 
        not released immediately the President should continue all 
        efforts afforded to the administration to secure his release, 
        including the consideration of--
                    (A) terminating all assistance to the Government of 
                the Russian Federation under the Foreign Assistance Act 
                of 1961 and the annual Foreign Operations, Export 
                Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for 
                purposes of preparing the Russian Federation's entrance 
                or accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO); and
                    (B) opposing any further debt relief of obligations 
                owed to the United States Government from the 
                Government of the Russian Federation; and
            (3) the President should increase efforts to secure 
        appropriate medical attention for Edmond Pope.

            Passed the House of Representatives October 10, 2000.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.