[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 258 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 258

    Expressing the sense of the Senate on the arrest of Mikhail B. 
                Khodorkovsky by the Russian Federation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 4, 2003

     Mr. Lugar (for himself and Mr. Biden) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

                            November 7, 2003

                Reported by Mr. Lugar, without amendment

                            December 9, 2003

                        Considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of the Senate on the arrest of Mikhail B. 
                Khodorkovsky by the Russian Federation.

Whereas the Russian Federation is now a member of the family of democratic 
        countries;
Whereas the United States supports the development of democracy, free markets, 
        and civil society in the Russian Federation and in other states of the 
        former Soviet Union;
Whereas the rule of law, the impartial application of the law, and equal justice 
        for all in courts of law are pillars of all democratic societies;
Whereas investment, both foreign and domestic, in the economy of Russia is 
        necessary for the growth of the economy and raising the standard of 
        living of the citizens of the Russian Federation;
Whereas property rights are a bulwark of civil society against encroachment by 
        the state, and a fundamental building block of democracy; and
Whereas reports of the arrest of Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky and the freezing of 
        shares of the oil conglomerate YUKOS have raised questions about the 
        possible selective application of the law in the Russian Federation and 
        may have compromised investor confidence in business conditions there: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the law enforcement and judicial authorities of the 
        Russian Federation should ensure that Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky 
        is accorded the full measure of his rights under the Russian 
        Constitution to defend himself against any and all charges that 
        may be brought against him, in a fair and transparent process, 
        so that individual justice may be done, but also so that the 
        efforts the Russian Federation has been making to reform its 
        system of justice may be seen to be moving forward; and
            (2) such authorities of the Russian Federation should make 
        every effort to dispel growing international concerns that--
                    (A) the cases against Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky and 
                other business leaders are politically motivated; and
                    (B) the potential remains for misuse of the justice 
                system in the Russian Federation.
                                 <all>