[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 204 (Thursday, December 3, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6084-H6086]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNING POLITICALLY MOTIVATED IMPRISONMENT AND CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 958) condemning the practice of politically
motivated imprisonment and calling for the immediate release of
political prisoners in the Russian Federation and urging action by the
United States Government to impose sanctions with respect to persons
responsible for that form of human rights abuse, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 958
Whereas the right to liberty and security of a person and
the protection from arbitrary imprisonment are among the
principal human rights guaranteed by Article 9 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article
23 of the Concluding Document of the Vienna Meeting of the
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Article
5 of the European Convention on Human Rights;
Whereas the Russian Federation, as member of the United
Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe, is bound by
international commitments with regard to human rights and the
rule of law;
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Whereas, on October 3, 2012, the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe adopted Resolution 1900 (2012) which
defined anyone whose ``detention has been imposed in
violation of one of the fundamental guarantees set out in the
European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols'' and
``is the result of proceedings which were clearly unfair and
. . . appears to be connected with political motives of the
authorities'' as a political prisoner;
Whereas based on the criteria of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe Resolution 1900 (2012), the Memorial
Human Rights Center, a Russian nongovernmental organization,
estimates that there are currently more than 300 political
prisoners in the Russian Federation, a six-fold increase
since 2015;
Whereas the Memorial Human Rights Center list of Russian
political prisoners includes journalists, civil society
activists, human rights advocates, participants of peaceful
organizations, and Ukrainian citizens from illegally annexed
Crimea;
Whereas the Russian Federation's longest-detained political
prisoner, Alexey Pichugin, has been incarcerated since June
19, 2003, in violation of two rulings by the European Court
of Human Rights and the opinion by the United Nations Working
Group on Arbitrary Detention;
Whereas investigative journalist and former editor of the
independent newspaper Noviye Kolyosa, Igor Rudnikov was held
in pretrial detention from November 1, 2017, until June 17,
2019, on alleged extortion charges, which were later dropped
by the court;
Whereas Igor Rudnikov's detention and charges were
criticized by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
and Reporters without Borders, calling them ``clearly
trumped-up'' and ``an act of political revenge'',
respectively;
Whereas opposition activist Konstantin Kotov was sentenced
to 1.5 years imprisonment on April 20, 2020, for
participating in peaceful demonstrations, in a ruling Amnesty
International has described as ``a profound injustice'';
Whereas Anastasia Shevchenko, an activist in the Open
Russia movement, has been held under house arrest since
January 23, 2019, on the charge of belonging to an
``undesirable'' organization and has been designated by
Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience;
Whereas Yuri Dmitriev, a leader of Memorial Society's
branch in the Republic of Karelia region of the Russian
Federation who has worked to document mass burial sites from
Stalin-era executions, has been held in detention since June
28, 2018, on charges of child pornography that Human Rights
Watch has described as ``bogus'' and part of an ongoing
``smear campaign'', and was sentenced to 13 years in prison
on September 29, 2020;
Whereas Dennis Christensen, a Jehovah's Witness and a
Danish citizen, was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment on
February 6, 2019, in a decision condemned by the United
States Commission on International Religious Freedom as part
of the broader pattern of the Russian Government ``engaging
in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom'';
Whereas, on February 10, 2020, 7 activists from Russia's
Penza Oblast were sentenced to terms of 6 to 18 years for
alleged membership in a terrorist group following a detention
marked by torture, ill-treatment to extract confessions, and
periods held incommunicado;
Whereas Human Rights Watch described the case as an example
of the Russian authorities ``abusing counterterrorism laws to
silence critics and deny fundamental human rights'';
Whereas, on August 6, 2020, a court in Moscow sentenced
seven activists to between four years suspended and sevem
years in prison for participating in an alleged extremist
organization, ``The New Greatness'', after an investigation
marked by the use of provocateurs, torture, ill-treatment,
and forced confessions, in what the Memorial Human Rights
Center and the Moscow Helsinki Group have described as a
``politically motivated case'' aimed at ``suppressing the
freedom of expression'';
Whereas, on June 18, 2019, the Department of State affirmed
that ``the United States is deeply concerned by the growing
number of individuals . . . identified by credible human
rights organizations as political and religious prisoners
held by the Government of the Russian Federation'' and called
on the Government of the Russian Federation ``to release all
those identified as political or religious prisoners
immediately and cease its use of the legal system to suppress
dissent and peaceful religious practice'';
Whereas, on January 28, 2020, 43 parliamentarians from 16
European countries introduced a Resolution in the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to appoint a
rapporteur ``to examine the growing crisis with politically
motivated imprisonments in the Russian Federation''; and
Whereas, on June 29, 2020, the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe's Legal Affairs Committee appointed
Icelandic lawmaker Thorhildur Sunna Aevarsdottir to serve as
the rapporteur on political prisoners in Russia: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the practice of politically motivated
imprisonment in the Russian Federation that violates the
country's international obligations on human rights and the
rule of law and expresses its solidarity with all those
unjustly imprisoned in the Russian Federation;
(2) calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to
immediately release individuals designated by the Memorial
Human Rights Center as political prisoners under the criteria
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Resolution 1900 (2012), including Alexey Pichugin, Konstantin
Kotov, Anastasia Shevchenko, Yuri Dmitriev, and Dennis
Christensen;
(3) urges the United States Government, in all its
interactions with the Government of the Russian Federation,
to raise individual cases of Russian political prisoners and
advocate for their release; and
(4) calls on the Secretary of State and the Secretary of
the Treasury to use their authority under the Sergei
Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 (title IV of
Public Law 112-208), the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law
114-328), and other applicable United States statutory
authorities to designate officials of the Government of the
Russian Federation who are responsible for human rights
abuses in the form of politically motivated imprisonment.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H. Res. 958.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 958, which condemns
politically motivated imprisonment by the Russian Government and calls
for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Russia.
According to the Memorial Human Rights Center, there are more than
300 political prisoners in Russia today. These prisoners are human
rights advocates, journalists, Ukrainians from Crimea, and American
citizens like Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed.
It has been common practice for the Kremlin to target opposition
figures as an act of political revenge. Russian authorities regularly
abuse counterterrorism laws and Interpol's Red Notice system to silence
critics and deny them fundamental human rights.
We must not only condemn these abuses, but we must increase the
economic and political cost for Russian officials who engage in unjust
imprisonments and political retaliation.
This resolution calls on the Departments of State and Treasury to use
the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 and the
Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to pursue Russia
officials who are responsible for or complicit in politically motivated
imprisonment. I remember in 2012, we all worked together to put this
very important law on the books.
No one deserves to be used as a political pawn by Vladimir Putin. It
is critical that Congress strongly condemns and takes action against
Russia's wrongful imprisonments.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I have said many times that Vladimir Putin is not our
friend. Under his command, the Russian Government has invaded Georgia,
started a war with Ukraine, assisted Bashar al-Assad's murderous
campaign in Syria, and meddled in our elections.
But he is not just a threat to international security. Vladimir Putin
is an enemy of democracy. We know this by his brutal actions that he
has taken against his own people.
Over the last 20 years, under Putin's control, Moscow has chipped
away at the few political freedoms once enjoyed in Russia. Media
outlets have been shut down; political parties have been attacked;
opposition figures have been assassinated; and activists have been
thrown in jail.
This is not the future that so many in Russia had hoped for when the
Iron Curtain was lifted. Now, hundreds of
[[Page H6086]]
political prisoners occupy cells in Russian jails. They aren't there
because they are bad people. They aren't there because they are real
criminals. They are there because Vladimir Putin is afraid of them. He
doesn't want them to challenge his authority. He doesn't want them to
have a voice.
Today, we have a chance to provide a voice for the people Putin has
tried to silence. This resolution condemns the practice of jailing
individuals for political purposes and calls for the release of all
political prisoners in Russia. It also urges the administration to
impose sanctions on Russian officials who are complicit in human rights
abuses.
Once again, I want to thank my good friend, Chairman Engel, for
introducing this bill. He has been a great champion for victims of
tyranny his entire career. I am grateful for all of his hard work.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for
the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my friend, the ranking member of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul. It has been a pleasure
working closely with him on so many pieces of legislation. I know that
the work will continue, and we will continue to keep in touch and make
sure that we go the right way in trying to stop these human rights
abuses all over the world.
The number of political prisoners in Russia has increased by sixfold
since the year 2015. This is what we have come to expect from Vladimir
Putin's Russia: Blatant disregard for human rights and rule of law.
The United States must stand firm against Russia's practice of
politically motivated imprisonment and impose sanctions against anyone
responsible for these human rights abuses. It is really important that
the U.S. Congress stand up and do this. It is really important that we
do it, regardless of political party.
It is really important to send Putin a message that we are not going
to sit idly by and allow him to do his bad work. He has interfered with
our elections. He has tried again. He succeeded some of the time; he
didn't succeed in other times. But we want him to stay away, and we
want the people of Russia to have a government where they can feel
free, not one where they feel the boot on their neck all the time.
We need to stand firm against Russia's practice of politically
motivated imprisonment and impose sanctions against anyone, even Putin,
responsible for these human rights abuses.
Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support H. Res. 958, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Tom Lantos
Commission for Human Rights and a former member of the Commission on
Security and Cooperation in Europe, I rise in strong support of this
bipartisan resolution, H. Res. 958, ``Condemning the practice of
politically motivated imprisonment and calling for the immediate
release of political prisoners in the Russian Federation and urging
action by the United States Government to impose sanctions with respect
to persons responsible for that form of human rights abuse.''
For years, Russia's human rights record has continued to deteriorate,
with the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful
assembly consistently restricted, both by law and in practice.
Most often, the people who are courageous enough to attempt
exercising their most basic human rights, including freedom of the
press and freedom of speech, face reprisals, ranging from harassment to
police ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, heavy fines, and, in some
cases, criminal prosecution and imprisonment.
Among the Kremlin's political prisoners are journalists, opposition
activists, peaceful protesters, adherents of ``prohibited'' religious
groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as members of
``undesirable'' political organizations like Open Russia, an
organization that has done a lot to support victims of human rights
violations in Russia.
In fact, several human rights defenders and NGOs have been targeted
within Russia under the laws on ``foreign agents'' and ``undesirable
organizations''.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution seeks to do three things:
Condemn the practice of politically motivated imprisonment by the
Russian government, particularly under the leadership of President
Vladimir Putin;
Call for the immediate release of those designated as political
prisoners in the Russian Federation; and
Urge the current Administration to impose sanctions on those
responsible for these human rights abuses using the Sergei Magnitsky
Rule of Law Accountability Act, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act, or other authorities.
By passing this resolution today, we are sending a bipartisan message
to the Russian Government that we see the violations of human rights
that are occurring, and we will not stand idly by while people who are
fighting for progress are tortured and ill-treated.
Furthermore, counter-terrorism provisions are widely used to target
dissent across the country and in Crimea, and torture tactics remain
pervasive, as does impunity for its perpetrators.
Last year, due to the growing disconnect between the authorities and
general public, there was an increase in street protests, ranging from
political to economic to social and even to environmental issues.
In July and August of 2019, more than 2,600 people were arrested
during protests in Moscow, which had remained peaceful until the police
and National Guard officers forcibly intervened.
According to Amnesty International, there were numerous reports of
arbitrary arrest, use of excessive, as well as indiscriminate force and
ill-treatment of protesters by the officers, but none of these cases
were known to have been investigated.
As a fierce defender of human rights and the world's oldest
democracy, the United States has a duty to the world to speak up in the
face of injustice and when violations of international commitments,
including the incarceration of political prisoners, occur.
It is our responsibility as Members of Congress to pass this
resolution today in order to urge the Russian Federation to release its
political prisoners and respect the basic human rights of its citizens.
I urge all Members on both sides of the aisle to join me in voting
for H. Res. 958, ``Condemning the practice of politically motivated
imprisonment and calling for the immediate release of political
prisoners in the Russian Federation and urging action by the United
States Government to impose sanctions with respect to persons
responsible for that form of human rights abuse.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 958, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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