[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 21, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E430-E431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NAVALNY RESOLUTION INTRODUCTION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 2021

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce a bipartisan 
resolution condemning

[[Page E431]]

the Kremlin's brutal treatment of Russian opposition leader Alexei 
Navalny.
  I am thankful to Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick for co-leading this 
resolution with me. I am also thankful to Chairman Meeks, Europe 
Subcommittee Chairman Keating, Ranking Member McCaul, Congressman 
Quigley, Congressman Pfluger, and Congressman Meier for their 
leadership, support, and original cosponsorship on this measure.
  Mr. Navalny has been a leader in uncovering gross corruption at the 
highest levels of the Kremlin that sustain that country's brutal 
regime. Through new forms of social media, his ability to reach out to 
and organize Russian citizens has been admirable.
  Tragically on August 20, 2020, Vladimir Putin's thugs poisoned Mr. 
Navalny with the nerve agent, Novichok that nearly ended his life.
  After making a recovery in Germany, Mr. Navalny bravely returned to 
Russia where he was detained and transferred to a modem-day gulag where 
he faced torture.
  To protest these despicable conditions, he has been on a hunger 
strike for close to three weeks, and is now in critical condition.
  Russia has a deeply disturbing history of violence and assassinations 
to silence dissidents like Boris Nemtsov, Sergei Magnitsky, Alexander 
Litvinenko and many more.
  In response, this resolution strongly condemns the Kremlin's gross 
mistreatment of Mr. Navalny, calls for him to receive adequate medical 
care, and urges the Biden Administration to take all appropriate 
actions to secure his release, including through increased sanctions.
  Additionally, the resolution expresses gratitude for the critical 
work of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in shining a light on these 
issues, and urges the State Department to take greater action to 
protect the broadcaster's physical presence in Moscow in face of the 
Kremlin's disturbing attacks on it.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

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