[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 308--CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN 
FEDERATION TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE OR TO RELEASE UNITED STATES CITIZEN PAUL 
                                 WHELAN

  Mr. PETERS (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 308

       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 eight 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 Senate--
       (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 Government of the Russian 
     Federation 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.

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