[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 129 (Wednesday, November 15, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING JOHN FINERTY'S 25 YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE COMMISSION ON 
                   SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

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                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 15, 2006

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased o pay 
tribute to John Finerty for his 25 years of faithful service to the 
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Helsinki 
Commission. John began his work as a member of the professional staff 
on November 8, 1981, just 6 years after the signing of the Helsinki 
Final Act, a period marked by ruthless Soviet repression and widespread 
violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
  Driven by a passion for upholding the dignity of the downtrodden, 
John devoted himself to documenting the cases of political prisoners 
and prisoners of conscience cast into the Soviet gulag or banished 
because of their beliefs. His career at the Commission began in the 
aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a situation he 
followed closely. He also focused on the plight of Soviet Jewry, abuse 
of psychiatry and use of slave labor in the USSR, the persecution of 
human rights defenders, and repression of religious believers. His 
determined efforts were undertaken for well-known dissidents and the 
unknown alike without distinction. The resolution of hundreds of Soviet 
human rights cases were brought about in no small measure as a result 
of John's diligence.
  The end of the Cold War brought new challenges and opportunities and 
once again John's talents proved invaluable to me and my fellow 
Commissioners as freedom began to take root in the former Soviet Union 
and the subjugation of the Baltic States came to an end. Throughout the 
turbulent transition, John remained focused on promoting peaceful 
democratic change while continuing his vigilant defense of human 
rights. He was part of the first teams to monitor elections in the 
former USSR. While the conflict in Chechnya has faded from the focus of 
many, John has not been willing to forget its victims. Similarly, he 
has helped draw attention to those who have fallen victim to terrorists 
in places like Beslan.
  Mr. Speaker, in this year when we observe the 13th anniversary of the 
Helsinki Commission, as a long-serving Commissioner and Co-Chairman, I 
am pleased to recognize and commend John Finerty for his faithful 
service and tireless defense of human rights and dignity.

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