[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 176 (Tuesday, December 9, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S16201-S16202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ARREST OF MIKHAIL B. KHODORKOVSKY BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 380, S. Res. 
258.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 258) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate on the arrest of Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky by the 
     Russian Federation.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table en bloc, and that any

[[Page S16202]]

statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 258) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 258

       Whereas the Russian Federation is now a member of the 
     family of democratic countries;
       Whereas the United States supports the development of 
     democracy, free markets, and civil society in the Russian 
     Federation and in other states of the former Soviet Union;
       Whereas the rule of law, the impartial application of the 
     law, and equal justice for all in courts of law are pillars 
     of all democratic societies;
       Whereas investment, both foreign and domestic, in the 
     economy of Russia is necessary for the growth of the economy 
     and raising the standard of living of the citizens of the 
     Russian Federation;
       Whereas property rights are a bulwark of civil society 
     against encroachment by the state, and a fundamental building 
     block of democracy; and
       Whereas reports of the arrest of Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky 
     and the freezing of shares of the oil conglomerate YUKOS have 
     raised questions about the possible selective application of 
     the law in the Russian Federation and may have compromised 
     investor confidence in business conditions there: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the law enforcement and judicial authorities of the 
     Russian Federation should ensure that Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky 
     is accorded the full measure of his rights under the Russian 
     Constitution to defend himself against any and all charges 
     that may be brought against him, in a fair and transparent 
     process, so that individual justice may be done, but also so 
     that the efforts the Russian Federation has been making to 
     reform its system of justice may be seen to be moving 
     forward; and
       (2) such authorities of the Russian Federation should make 
     every effort to dispel growing international concerns that--
       (A) the cases against Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky and other 
     business leaders are politically motivated; and
       (B) the potential remains for misuse of the justice system 
     in the Russian Federation.

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