[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1426 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1426

  Urging the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and President Paul 
   Kagame to immediately release human rights lawyer Professor Peter 
    Erlinder from jail and allow him to return to the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2010

  Ms. McCollum (for herself and Mr. Ellison) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Urging the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and President Paul 
   Kagame to immediately release human rights lawyer Professor Peter 
    Erlinder from jail and allow him to return to the United States.

Whereas the Constitution of Rwanda, adopted on May 26, 2003, states that Rwanda 
        is ``Resolved to build a State governed by the rule of law, based on 
        respect for fundamental human rights, pluralistic democracy, equitable 
        power sharing, tolerance and resolution of issues through dialogue'';
Whereas there is an increasing pattern of restrictions of free expression in 
        Rwanda ahead of the August presidential elections, including the denial 
        of a work visa to a senior Human Rights Watch researcher and the 
        crackdown of opposition members and journalists;
Whereas the United States Government has provided over $1,034,000,000 billion in 
        United States taxpayer-funded foreign assistance to Rwanda since 2000, 
        and an additional $240,200,000 is proposed in the President's fiscal 
        year 2011 budget;
Whereas Peter Erlinder is a law professor at William Mitchell College of Law in 
        Saint Paul, Minnesota, and has served as a lead defense attorney for the 
        United Nationals International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, 
        Tanzania;
Whereas Peter Erlinder was arrested on May 28, 2010, in Kigali, Rwanda, and is 
        currently being detained at Kicukiro Prison on charges of ``genocide 
        ideology'' based in part upon legal arguments made during his work as a 
        defense attorney at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal 
        for Rwanda; and
Whereas United States Department of State Spokesman P.J. Crowley announced on 
        June 3, 2010, that the United States Government was pressing the 
        Government of Rwanda to ``resolve this case quickly'' and that the 
        Department of State hoped for Peter Erlinder's release on 
        ``compassionate grounds'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives urges the Government of 
the Republic of Rwanda and President Paul Kagame to immediately release 
Professor Peter Erlinder from jail and allow him to return to the 
United States.
                                 <all>