[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 77 (Monday, June 19, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H4654-H4656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING INDEPENDENT MEDIA IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on International Relations be discharged from further consideration of 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 352) expressing the sense of 
the Congress regarding manipulation of the mass media and intimidation 
of the independent press in the Russian Federation, expressing support 
for freedom of speech and the independent media in the Russian 
Federation, and calling on the President of the United States to 
express his strong concern for freedom of speech and the independent 
media in the Russian Federation, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, 
I believe the House needs to understand why we are proceeding in an 
expeditious manner, but I would ask the Chair, in deference to the fact 
that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) has such 
extraordinary experience in this area, if we could be permitted to 
allow him to go forward and then allow the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Gilman) to speak.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Weldon), who has a great deal of experience in this area.
  (Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I want to, first of all, 
thank my distinguished chairman and leader, the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Gilman), and my distinguished good friend, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Hastings), for bringing this very timely legislation and 
thank all the members on the Committee on International Relations to 
allow us to make a statement on the seriousness of the situation that 
is occurring in Russia over the last several months relative to freedom 
of the press.
  As my friend has stated and my colleagues are aware, I have a special 
interest in Russia. I just made my 21st trip there last weekend with 
Secretary Cohen, where I was able to attend meetings with him and the 
defense minister and the leaders of the Duma on improving American-
Russian relations.
  I felt that we achieved a considerable amount of progress, but I 
would be less than candid if I did not tell my colleagues that there 
are serious problems inside of Russia. All of us were optimistic when 
the new President Putin took over in January and was elected in free 
and fair elections several months later, but there has been a pattern 
well documented in this bill of actions against members of the free 
press, including Radio Free Europe and the independent radio and TV 
stations in Moscow and, most recently, including the chairman and the 
head of Media Most Corporation, Mr. Gusinsky. In fact, the 
distinguished chairman knows because he was host to the number two 
person at Media Most. As the distinguished chairman knows, just several 
weeks ago, we had the number 2 person from Media Most over speaking to 
Members of Congress expressing the real concerns of what happened with 
the FSB invasion of their headquarters and the outrage that many of us 
felt about having this independent media feel the pressure of what 
appears to be the Putin government, in trying to crack down on the 
ability of Russians to speak out.
  Russia is a fragile democracy, and that fragile democracy is going to 
exist and succeed only based upon the success of their free media, and 
we must in America speak out when we see incidences occur like the 
incident involving the reporter who was responding or reporting on the 
Chechnyan war to the efforts by Gusinsky to report on concerns within 
Russia about the direction of the Russian government. And while 
President Putin and leaders in the various factions may not agree with 
what is being said by the Russian media, they must understand that a 
free democracy must have that free speech, or it will cease to be a 
free democracy.
  I might also add that we are heartened that Mr. Gusinsky has recently 
been released, but I also want to mention there are other patterns of 
strong-arm tactics coming out of Russia, Mr. Speaker. On April 3, one 
of our Pennsylvania constituents, a Penn State

[[Page H4655]]

professor by the name of Ed Pope, was arrested. He has been charged 
with crimes against the Russian state. It is an absolute fabrication.
  My good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Peterson), and I have been working this case for 6 weeks; and we are 
not going to step back until we see Mr. Pope released to his wife and 
to his loved ones up in State College.

                              {time}  2115

  Russia needs to understand, Mr. Speaker, that all of us on both sides 
of the aisle want to be friends with Russia. We want Russia to be an 
equal trading partner of ours. We want a secure stable relationship. We 
want to have a fair process where the two countries can work together 
in every possible area of cooperation. But none of this can exist if 
there is a pattern of abuse of the free media and if there is a fear of 
intimidation on the part of those people who would go to Russia to 
conduct business or to perform positive relations with the people of 
Russia.
  So, again, I want to thank my colleagues for this outstanding 
resolution. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) has been a 
tireless advocate on these kinds of issues around the world. The 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) is constantly on top of these 
issues. I applaud both of them for their leadership and join with them 
in urging our colleagues to pass this important legislation this 
evening.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of 
objection, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Weldon) for his supporting remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 352, which I have introduced 
along with the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), makes it clear that the Congress is 
greatly concerned by the treatment of the Russian media by President 
Vladimir Putin and by his government's increasingly apparent lack of 
respect for freedom of expression in Russia.
  After years of extensive privatization of Russian state-owned 
enterprises, little privatization has been carried out in major 
segments of the Russian media. Important segments, such as large 
printing and publishing houses and nationwide television frequencies 
and broadcasting facilities, have been only partially privatized, if 
they have been privatized at all.
  That failure to privatize key segments of the media presents a 
tempting opportunity for Russian officials to manipulate the state-run 
media for their own ends; and in the recent parliamentary and 
presidential elections, we saw clear evidence that Russian officials 
have succumbed to that temptation. As this resolution points out, the 
Russian government's immense influence over the state-run media was 
used during those elections to openly support friends of the party in 
power in the Kremlin and to attack, blatantly and viciously, those who 
oppose that party of power.
  Mr. Putin probably would not be president of Russia today if such 
media manipulation had not been used to his own advantage. Mr. Speaker, 
in addition to that manipulation of the state-run media, this 
resolution points out that the Russian government and its officials and 
agencies have also sought to intimidate the independent media.
  A new Russian Ministry for the Press was created last July, and the 
Minister for the Press stated quite openly that his job was to address 
the so-called ``aggression'' of the Russian press. Leading Russian 
editors complaining in an open letter to former President Boris Yeltsin 
in August that government officials were putting pressure on the media, 
particularly through unwarranted raids by the tax police.
  In fact, as recently as May 11, masked officers of the Russian 
Federal Security Service raided the headquarters of Media-Most, that is 
the company which operates NTV, the largest independent national 
television station in Russia. Then, just last week, the owner of Media-
Most, Vladimir Gusinsky, was arrested on rather vague charges and held 
for several days.
  In addition, Russian reporters have been beaten, some murdered, and 
police investigations have tended to fail to identify the perpetrators, 
much less bring them to justice. Andrei Babitsky, a Russian reporter 
working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty covering the war in 
Chechnya, was arrested by the Russian military and then exchanged to 
unidentified Chechens for Russian POWs. Another reporter was ordered by 
police to enter a psychiatric clinic for an examination after he wrote 
articles critical of certain Russian officials.
  Mr. Speaker, beyond these examples of the ongoing intimidation of the 
press by Mr. Putin's government, this resolution points out a 
distressing fact that is very relevant to freedom of expression in 
general in Russia. The Russian Federal Security Service is now moving 
to ensure total surveillance over the Internet in Russia by installing 
a system by which all transmissions and e-mails originating within 
Russia and sent to parties in Russia can be read by its personnel. In 
this manner, new structures of surveillance over all of Russia's 
citizens are now being created.
  This resolution, H. Con. Res. 352, makes it clear that the Russian 
government's manipulation and intimidation of the media threatens the 
chances for democracy and the rule of law in Russia and makes it clear 
that freedom of expression by Russians in general is also under attack 
by that government and by its agencies.
  Mr. Speaker, this measure calls on our President to make it clear to 
President Putin that the United States insists on respect for freedom 
of speech and of the press in Russia.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation, I 
would like to make a few additional points, one being that under 
President Putin it seems that conditions are getting worse. But, more 
important, I would like to thank the chairman of the Committee on 
International Relations for expediting this matter and for all of our 
colleagues that are cosponsors. None are more significant than the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), who, along with the chairman, 
is the author of some of the language that appears in the resolution.
  Having that understanding, I would like to reflect on two things. Had 
he been here and not had the scheduling mix-up that he has, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) no doubt would have pointed out 
that under former President Yeltsin, the media enjoyed a reasonable 
degree of independence and freedom from supervision by the so-called 
Media Ministry. The gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), myself and 
the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman) have expressed our 
concerns that these actions will exacerbate tension in the Russian 
media and Russian society vis-a-vis the government.
  Finally, the government of Russia has a right to enforce its laws and 
investigate illegal activity of its citizens. However, such a selective 
application of the Russian government's procuratory authority, 
imprisonment before the actual charges are brought and the overall 
abuse of the Federal authority, does deserve Congressional 
condemnation.
  For the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and for the gentleman 
from New York (Chairman Gilman), I offer my thanks.
  Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ose). Is there objection to the request 
of the gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 352

       Whereas almost all of the large printing plants, publishing 
     houses, and newspaper distribution companies, several leading 
     news agencies, and almost all of the nationwide television 
     frequencies and broadcasting facilities in the Russian 
     Federation remain under government control, despite the 
     extensive privatization of state-owned enterprises in other 
     sectors of the Russian economy;
       Whereas the ``Press Freedom Survey 2000'' reported by 
     ``Freedom House'' of Washington, DC, stated that the 
     approximately 2,500 regional and rural newspapers in Russia 
     outside of Moscow are almost completely owned by local or 
     provincial governments;
       Whereas the Government of Russia is able to suspend or 
     revoke broadcast and publishing licenses and apply exorbitant 
     taxes and fees on the independent media;
       Whereas, in 1999, a major television network controlled by 
     the Russian Government canceled the program ``Top Secret'' 
     after it

[[Page H4656]]

     reported on alleged corruption at high levels of the 
     government;
       Whereas, in July 1999, the Government of Russia created a 
     new Ministry for Press, Television and Radio Broadcasting, 
     and Mass Communications;
       Whereas, in August 1999, the editors of fourteen of 
     Russia's leading news publications sent an open letter to 
     then Russian President Boris Yeltsin stating that high-
     ranking officials of the government were putting pressure on 
     the mass media, particularly through unwarranted raids by tax 
     police;
       Whereas Mikhail Lesin, Minister for Press, Television and 
     Radio Broadcasting, and Mass Communications, stated in 
     October 1999 that the Russian Government would change its 
     policies towards the mass media so as to address 
     ``aggression'' by the Russian press;
       Whereas the Russian Federal Security Service or ``FSB'' is 
     reportedly implementing a technical regulation known as 
     ``SORM-2'' by which it could reroute, in real time, all 
     electronic transmissions over the Internet through FSB 
     offices for purposes of surveillance, a likely violation of 
     the Russian constitution's provisions concerning the right to 
     privacy of private communications, according to Aleksei 
     Simonov, President of the Russian ``Glasnost Defense 
     Foundation'', a nongovernmental human rights organization;
       Whereas such surveillance under SORM-2 would allow the 
     Russian Federal Security Service access to passwords, 
     financial transactions, and confidential company information, 
     among other transmissions;
       Whereas it is reported that over one hundred Russian 
     journalists have been killed over the past decade, with few 
     if any of the government investigations into those murders 
     resulting in arrests, prosecutions, or convictions;
       Whereas numerous observers of Russian politics have noted 
     the blatant misuse of the leading Russian television 
     channels, controlled by the Russian Government, to undermine 
     popular support for political rivals of those supporting the 
     government in the run-up to parliamentary elections held in 
     December 1999;
       Whereas it has been reported that Russian television 
     stations controlled by the Russian Government were used to 
     disparage opponents of Vladimir Putin during the campaign for 
     the presidency in the beginning of this year, and whereas it 
     has been reported that political advertisements by those 
     candidates were routinely relegated by those stations to 
     slots outside of prime time coverage;
       Whereas manipulation of the media by the Russian Government 
     appeared intent on portraying the Russian military attack on 
     the separatist Republic of Chechnya to the maximum political 
     advantage of the Russian Government;
       Whereas in December 1999 two correspondents for ``Reuters 
     News Agency'' and the ``Associated Press'' were reportedly 
     accused of being foreign spies after reporting high Russian 
     casualty figures in the war in Chechnya;
       Whereas the arrest in January 2000, subsequent treatment by 
     the Russian military, and prosecution by the Russian 
     Government of Andrei Babitsky, a correspondent for Radio Free 
     Europe/Radio Liberty covering the war in Chechnya, have 
     constituted a violation of commitments made by the Russian 
     Government to foster freedom of speech and of the press, and 
     have reportedly constituted a violation of the Criminal Code 
     of the Russian Federation;
       Whereas in January 2000 Aleksandr Khinshtein, a reporter 
     for the newspaper ``Moskovsky Komsomolets'', was ordered by 
     the Russian Federal Security Service to enter a clinic over 
     100 miles from his home for a psychiatric examination after 
     he accused top Russian officials of illegal activities, and 
     such detainment in psychiatric wards was previously employed 
     by the former Soviet regime to stifle dissent;
       Whereas the Russian newspaper ``Novaya Gazeta'' was 
     officially warned by the Russian Ministry of the Press for 
     its printing of an interview with Aslan Maskhadov, the 
     elected President of the Republic of Chechnya; an entire 
     issue of ``Novaya Gazeta'', including several articles 
     alleging massive campaign finance violations by the 
     presidential campaign of Vladimir Putin, was lost to 
     unidentified computer ``hackers''; and a journalist for 
     ``Novaya Gazeta'' was savagely beaten in May of this year;
       Whereas President Thomas Dine of Radio Free Europe/Radio 
     Liberty on March 14th, 2000, condemned the Russian 
     Government's expanding efforts to intimidate the mass media, 
     stating that those actions threaten the chances for democracy 
     and rule of law in Russia;
       Whereas ``NTV'', the only national independent television 
     station, which reaches half of Russia and is credited with 
     professional and balanced news programs, has frequently 
     broadcast news stories critical of Russian Government 
     policies;
       Whereas on May 11, 2000, masked officers of the Russian 
     Federal Security Service carrying assault weapons raided the 
     offices of ``Media-Most'', the corporate owner of NTV and 
     other independent media;
       Whereas the May 11th raid on Media-Most represented a 
     failure of recourse to normal legal mechanisms and conveyed 
     the appearance of a politically-motivated attack on Russian 
     independent media;
       Whereas the raid on Media-Most was carried out under the 
     authority of President Putin and Russian Government ministers 
     who have not criticized or repudiated that action;
       Whereas on June 12, 2000, Vladimir Gusinsky, owner of NTV 
     and other leading independent media was suddenly arrested;
       Whereas President Putin claimed not to have known of the 
     planned arrest of Vladimir Gusinsky;
       Whereas the continued functioning of an independent media 
     is a vital attribute of Russian democracy and an important 
     obstacle to the return of authoritarian or totalitarian 
     dictatorship in Russia; and
       Whereas a free news media can exist only in an environment 
     that is free of state control of the news media, that is free 
     of any form of state censorship or official coercion of any 
     kind, and that is protected and guaranteed by the rule of 
     law: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) expresses its continuing, strong support for freedom of 
     speech and the independent media in the Russian Federation;
       (2) expresses its strong concern over the failure of the 
     government of the Russian Federation to privatize major 
     segments of the Russian media, thus retaining the ability of 
     Russian officials to manipulate the media for political or 
     corrupt ends;
       (3) expresses its strong concern over the pattern of 
     Russian officials' surveillance and physical, economic, 
     legal, and political intimidation of Russian citizens and of 
     the Russian media that has now become apparent in Russia;
       (4) expresses its strong concern over the pattern of 
     manipulation of the Russian media by Russian Government 
     officials for political and possibly corrupt purposes that 
     has now become apparent;
       (5) expresses profound regret and dismay at the detention 
     and continued prosecution of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 
     journalist Andrei Babitsky and condemns those breaches of 
     Russian legal procedure and of Russian Government commitments 
     to the rights of Russian citizens that have reportedly 
     occurred in his detention and prosecution;
       (6) expresses strong concern over the breaches of Russian 
     legal procedure that have reportedly occurred in the course 
     of the May 11th raid by the Russian Federal Security Service 
     on Media-Most and the June 12th arrest of Vladimir Gusinsky; 
     and
       (7) calls on the President of the United States to express 
     to the President of the Russian Federation his strong concern 
     for freedom of speech and the independent media in the 
     Russian Federation and to emphasize the concern of the United 
     States that official pressures against the independent media 
     and the political manipulation of the state-owned media in 
     Russia are incompatible with democratic norms.

     SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL TO SECRETARY OF STATE.

       The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit a 
     copy of this resolution to the Secretary of State with the 
     request that it be forwarded to the President of the Russian 
     Federation.

  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________