[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 613 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 613

 Requesting a report on the observance of and respect for human rights 
                and fundamental freedom in Saudi Arabia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            August 22, 2018

Mr. Merkley (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. 
Wyden, Mr. Sanders, and Mr. Leahy) submitted the following resolution; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Requesting a report on the observance of and respect for human rights 
                and fundamental freedom in Saudi Arabia.

Whereas, in July 2018, the Government of Saudi Arabia detained prominent women 
        rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sada;
Whereas the United States Department of State presented Ms. Badawi with the 2012 
        International Women of Courage Award in recognition of her efforts with 
        regard to the discriminatory male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia;
Whereas the Department of State has declined to express solidarity with the 
        Government of Canada, which reacted appropriately to news of the 
        detention of Ms. Badawi and Ms. al-Sada in expressing that it was 
        ``gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and 
        women's rights activists'' and calling upon ``Saudi authorities to 
        immediately release them and all other peaceful human-rights 
        activists'';
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia reacted disproportionately to criticism 
        by the Government of Canada by taking extreme retaliatory measures, 
        including--

    (1) expelling the Ambassador of Canada to Saudi Arabia and recalling 
the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Canada;

    (2) ordering the return of citizens of Saudi Arabia living in Canada, 
including more than 1,000 medical students;

    (3) shutting off new bilateral trade and investment with Canada; and

    (4) terminating direct commercial flights on Saudi Arabian air carriers 
between Saudi Arabia and Canada;

Whereas Canada is an indispensable ally in the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization that shares the commitment of the United States to equal 
        rights and the rule of law and, in defense of shared interests and 
        values, Canada has fought and sacrificed alongside the United States in 
        each of the World Wars and has contributed to Missions of the North 
        Atlantic Treaty Organization in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Libya, and 
        Central and Eastern Europe;
Whereas the arrest of Ms. Badawi and Ms. al-Sada, as well as the ongoing 
        detention of countless others such as blogger Raif Badawi and human 
        rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair, is part of a disturbing pattern of 
        human rights violations committed by the Government of Saudi Arabia, 
        which are documented in more than 50 pages of the 2017 Human Rights 
        Report of the Department of State;
Whereas, among the human rights violations by the Government of Saudi Arabia 
        documented in that report, are unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary 
        arrest and detention, restrictions on freedom of expression, violence 
        and official gender discrimination against women, and criminalization of 
        same-sex sexual activity;
Whereas the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees assesses 
        that airstrikes carried out by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates 
        in Yemen accounted for 80 percent of all civilian casualties from 
        December 2017 to May 2018 in the 5 governorates of Yemen most affected 
        by fighting; and
Whereas section 502B(a)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
        2304(a)(2)) states that ``no security assistance may be provided to any 
        country the government of which engages in a consistent pattern of gross 
        violations of internationally recognized human rights'': Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) it is the sense of the Senate that--
                    (A) the President should offer public support to 
                Canada by calling upon the Government of Saudi Arabia 
                to release Samar Badawi, Nassima al-Sada, Raif Badawi, 
                Waleed Abu al-Khair, and all other peaceful human 
                rights activists, journalists, and religious minorities 
                held in detention by that Government on dubious 
                charges; and
                    (B) the arrest of women's rights activists and 
                their supporters since May 2018 is contrary to the 
                stated goals of the Government of Saudi Arabia; and
            (2) the Senate requests, pursuant to section 502B(c)(1) of 
        the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)), that 
        the Secretary of State submit to Congress a statement, as 
        required by that section, setting forth all the available 
        information about observance of and respect for human rights 
        and fundamental freedom in Saudi Arabia.
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