[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 552 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 552

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      October 22, 2019.
Whereas United States citizen Paul Whelan is a resident of Novi, Michigan, and a 
        United States Marine Corps veteran;
Whereas Paul Whelan traveled to Moscow for the wedding of a personal friend on 
        December 22, 2018;
Whereas Russia's Federal Security Service arrested Paul Whelan at the Metropol 
        Hotel in Moscow on December 28, 2018, and charged him with espionage;
Whereas Paul Whelan was imprisoned in Lefortovo Prison and continues to be held 
        there more than 8 months after his arrest;
Whereas the Federal Security Service has not provided any evidence of supposed 
        wrongdoing;
Whereas a Moscow court has extended Paul Whelan's pre-trial detention multiple 
        times without publicly presenting justification or evidence of 
        wrongdoing;
Whereas officials from the United States Embassy in Moscow have routinely had 
        their topics of discussion with Paul Whelan severely limited by the 
        Federal Security Service;
Whereas even Paul Whelan's Federal Security Service-appointed lawyer, Vladimir 
        Zherebenkov, said on May 24, 2019, ``[The Federal Security Service] 
        always roll[s] out what they have, but in this case, we've seen nothing 
        concrete against Whelan in five months. That means there is nothing.'';
Whereas the United States Ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, responded on April 
        12, 2019, to a question about the detention of Paul Whelan, ``If the 
        Russians have evidence, they should bring it forward. We have seen 
        nothing. If there was a case, I think the evidence would have been 
        brought forward by now.''; and
Whereas Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey 
        Lavrov on May 14, 2019, and urged him to ensure United States citizens 
        are not unjustly held abroad: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to present 
        credible evidence on the allegations against Paul Whelan or immediately 
        release him from detention;
            (2) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to provide 
        unrestricted consular access to Paul Whelan while he remains in 
        detention;
            (3) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to ensure Paul 
        Whelan is afforded due process and universally recognized human rights;
            (4) encourages the President and the Secretary of State to continue 
        to press the Government of the Russian Federation at every opportunity 
        and urge the Russian Government to guarantee a fair and transparent 
        judicial process without undue delay in accordance with its 
        international legal obligation; and
            (5) expresses sympathy to the family of Paul Whelan and expresses 
        hope that their ordeal can soon be brought to an end.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.