[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 162 (Monday, December 17, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING DR. MICHAEL OCHS'S 25 YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE COMMISSION ON 
                   SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 17, 2012

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Michael Ochs has announced 
his retirement from the Commission on Security and Cooperation in 
Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, which I chair. So at 
this time I'd like to pay tribute to him for his 25 years of service to 
the Commission. Michael began his work as a member of the professional 
staff on October 1, 1987, a time when the changes to come in what was 
then the Soviet Union were unimaginable. Yet within a few years, the 
Soviet Union had disintegrated, succeeded by newly independent states 
facing difficult and sometimes complex transition periods.
  Dr. Ochs joined the staff of the Commission after completing his 
doctoral work in Russian history, and began his career by monitoring 
human rights abuses in the Soviet Union. He participated in the first 
international human rights conference to be convened in the Soviet 
Union, a meeting eventually interrupted by the KGB.
  Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Michael was an early voice 
promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in post-Soviet 
states, particularly in the Caucasus and Central Asia. In the early 
1990s, he traveled regularly to the region, working with authorities, 
opposition representatives, journalists and human rights activists to 
promote democracy and human rights, as well as participating in early 
OSCE election observation missions. This early involvement in the newly 
independent states gave Michael a remarkable depth of understanding of 
the region. His extensive network of contacts has made him 
indispensable to the Commission as well as other U.S. government 
agencies. He is certainly one of our government's top experts on the 
Caucasus and Central Asia.
  Michael's extraordinary expertise has served the Commission well over 
the years, and has also been recognized and called on by other U.S. 
government agencies. He has earned a reputation for his thoughtful and 
thorough analytical skills, which are respected not only within the 
U.S. government, but also within the region by both opposition and 
authorities alike. He also is known for his outstanding language 
skills, including near-native proficiency in Russian, as well as a 
command of Polish, Azeri and several other languages.
  Michael's tenure at the Commission has seen color revolutions in 
Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan, tragic massacres and violence in 
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and steps forward towards democracy 
throughout the region, and, sadly, many steps backward in the region. 
He has worked hard to advocate for activists, journalists, and others 
arrested for opposing authoritarian regimes--and, sometimes against the 
odds--has been successful in getting individuals released from prison.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize and commend Dr. Michael Ochs 
for his faithful service to the Commission and in defense of human 
rights and freedom. As he will be retiring at the end of this month, 
this is also a sad good-bye for me--I have known Michael almost since 
he joined the Commission, have traveled abroad with him, benefited 
greatly from his expertise, enjoyed his company immensely, and will 
certainly miss him.

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