[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 50 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 50

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                    September 22, 2015.
Whereas the trial of Nadiya Savchenko is scheduled to begin in Russia on 
        September 22, 2015;
Whereas Nadiya Savchenko is the first-ever female fighter pilot in Ukraine's 
        Armed Forces and is an Iraqi war veteran;
Whereas in the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, Savchenko volunteered her 
        services to the Ukrainian Aidar battalion;
Whereas Savchenko was elected in absentia from the Batkivshchyna Party to 
        Ukraine's Parliament in October 2014, and appointed to the Parliamentary 
        Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as a representative from 
        Ukraine;
Whereas as a member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Savchenko was conducting 
        operations in eastern Ukraine against pro-Russian forces in the summer 
        of 2014 when she was captured and taken into captivity;
Whereas Savchenko was captured and illegally transferred to the Russian 
        Federation to stand trial on unsubstantiated charges of murder, 
        attempted murder, and illegally entering Russian territory among other 
        allegations;
Whereas while being kept in Russian custody since July 2014, Savchenko's hearing 
        and trial dates have been repeatedly delayed;
Whereas in protest of her illegal detention, Savchenko conducted a hunger strike 
        lasting over 80 days;
Whereas her courage and determination have inspired people across the globe;
Whereas the Minsk Protocol of September 2014, signed by Ukraine and the Russian 
        Federation, calls for the ``immediate release of all hostages and 
        illegally held persons'';
Whereas appeals have been made to the United Nations Human Rights Council and 
        the International Red Cross to secure Savchenko's release;
Whereas the international community including representatives of the 
        Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and of the United 
        States have urged her immediate release;
Whereas on January 26, 2015, the opening day of the Parliamentary Assembly, a 
        broad range of individuals and organizations in the United States and 
        Europe dedicated to promoting human rights embarked on a public campaign 
        to bring attention to Savchenko's plight and demanded her immediate 
        release;
Whereas on February 12, 2015, the United States Senate passed S. Res. 52 by 
        unanimous consent, a Resolution calling for Savchenko's release;
Whereas on April 22, 2015, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine voted unanimously to 
        pass a resolution ``On the imposing of sanctions on persons responsible 
        for the illegal imprisonment in the Russian Federation of Nadiya 
        Savchenko'', which included the names of 35 individuals believed to be 
        responsible for Nadiya Savchenko's illegal imprisonment; and
Whereas the Government of the United States and its people express concern about 
        the continued illegal imprisonment of Nadiya Savchenko: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the Government of the Russian Federation for its 
        illegal imprisonment of Nadiya Savchenko;
            (2) calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately 
        release Nadiya Savchenko;
            (3) calls on the United States, its European allies, and the 
        international community to aggressively support efforts to release 
        Nadiya Savchenko and other illegally detained persons;
            (4) reiterates that it is the policy of the United States not to 
        recognize the de jure or de facto sovereignty of the Russian Federation 
        over any part of Ukraine, its airspace, or its territorial waters;
            (5) calls upon the United States to impose targeted sanctions 
        against persons responsible for the kidnapping, arrest, and imprisonment 
        of Nadiya Savchenko and other illegally detained persons; and
            (6) expresses solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.