[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 351 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 351

          Condemning the violence and persecution in Chechnya.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2017

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Engel, Mr. Issa, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. 
   Royce of California, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Ms. 
 Norton, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Takano, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, 
   Ms. Titus, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Dent, Ms. Brownley of California, Ms. 
  Speier, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. MacArthur, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
Cook, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Sires, Ms. Frankel of Florida, Ms. Tenney, Mr. 
   Pocan, Ms. Hanabusa, Mr. Donovan, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Coffman, Mr. 
  Fitzpatrick, Mr. Deutch, and Mr. Schneider) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
          Condemning the violence and persecution in Chechnya.

Whereas, on April 1, 2017, the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that 
        authorities in Chechnya, a republic of the Russian Federation, had 
        abducted, detained, and tortured over 100 men due to their actual or 
        suspected sexual orientation;
Whereas multiple independent and first-hand accounts have subsequently 
        corroborated the Novaya Gazeta report, and describe a campaign of 
        persecution by Chechen officials against men due to their actual or 
        suspected sexual orientation;
Whereas, as a result of this persecution, at least three deaths have been 
        reported and many individuals have been forced to flee Chechnya;
Whereas Chechen officials have denied the existence of such persecution, 
        including through a statement by the spokesman for Chechen leader Ramzan 
        Kadyrov that ``You cannot arrest or repress people who don't exist in 
        the republic.'';
Whereas the same spokesman for Ramzan Kadyrov has also stated that ``If such 
        people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement would not have to worry 
        about them, as their own relatives would have sent them to where they 
        could never return,'' and credible reports indicate that Chechen 
        authorities have encouraged families to carry out so-called ``honor 
        killings'' of relatives due to their actual or suspected sexual 
        orientation;
Whereas Chechnya is a constituent republic of the Russian Federation and subject 
        to its laws, and Ramzan Kadyrov was installed as the leader of Chechnya 
        by Russian President Vladimir Putin;
Whereas Chechen authorities have a long history of violating the fundamental 
        human rights of their citizens, including through extrajudicial 
        executions, forced disappearances, and torture of government critics;
Whereas Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports of persecution in 
        Chechnya and termed them ``phantom complaints'';
Whereas Russia's Human Rights Ombudsman, Tatyana Moskalkova, has also claimed 
        that such reports should not be believed because formal complaints have 
        not been registered with the appropriate authorities;
Whereas the Russian Federation is a participating State of the Organization for 
        Security and Cooperation in Europe and a signatory to the Universal 
        Declaration of Human Rights, and thus has agreed to guarantee the 
        fundamental human rights of all of its citizens;
Whereas, on April 7, 2017, the United States Department of State issued a 
        statement saying ``We categorically condemn the persecution of 
        individuals based on their sexual orientation'' and urging the 
        Government of the Russian Federation to take steps to ensure the release 
        of all those wrongfully detained in Chechnya, and to conduct a credible 
        investigation of the reports; and
Whereas, on April 17, 2017, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki 
        Haley issued a statement saying ``Chechen authorities must immediately 
        investigate these allegations, hold anyone involved accountable, and 
        take steps to prevent future abuses. We are against all forms of 
        discrimination, including against people based on sexual orientation. 
        When left unchecked, discrimination and human rights abuses can lead to 
        destabilization and conflict.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the violence and persecution in Chechnya and 
        calls on Chechen officials to immediately cease the abduction, 
        detention, and torture of individuals on the basis of their 
        actual or suspected sexual orientation, and hold accountable 
        all those involved in perpetrating such abuses;
            (2) calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to 
        protect the human rights of all its citizens, condemn the 
        violence and persecution, investigate these crimes in Chechnya, 
        and hold accountable all those involved in perpetrating such 
        abuses;
            (3) calls on the United States Government to continue to 
        condemn the violence and persecution in Chechnya and demand the 
        release of individuals wrongfully detained; and
            (4) affirms that the rights to freedom of assembly, 
        association, and expression and freedom from extrajudicial 
        detention and violence are universal human rights that apply to 
        all persons, and that countries that fail to respect these 
        rights jeopardize the security and prosperity of all their 
        citizens.
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