[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 3, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2277-S2279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

 SENATE RESOLUTION 609--RECOGNIZING WIDENING THREATS TO PRESS FREEDOM 
 AND FREE EXPRESSION AROUND THE WORLD, AND REAFFIRMING THE VITAL ROLE 
THAT A FREE AND INDEPENDENT PRESS PLAYS IN COMBATING THE GROWING THREAT 
  OF AUTHORITARIANISM, COUNTERING MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION, 
  DOCUMENTING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, INFORMING LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL 
  AUDIENCES ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES, AND FURTHERING DISCOURSE AND 
DEBATE TO ADVANCE HEALTHY DEMOCRACIES, IN COMMEMORATION OF WORLD PRESS 
                       FREEDOM DAY ON MAY 3, 2022

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Tillis, Mr. 
Cardin, Mr. Moran, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Van 
Hollen) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 609

       Whereas Thomas Jefferson, who championed the necessity of a 
     free press for a thriving democratic society, wisely 
     declared, ``Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, 
     and that cannot be limited without being lost.'';
       Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal 
     Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in Paris on December 10, 
     1948, states, ``Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion 
     and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions 
     without interference and to seek, receive and impart 
     information and ideas through any media and regardless of 
     frontiers.'';
       Whereas in 1993, the United Nations General Assembly 
     proclaimed the third day of May of each year to be ``World 
     Press Freedom Day''--
       (1) to celebrate the fundamental principles of press 
     freedom;
       (2) to evaluate press freedom around the world;
       (3) to defend the media against attacks on its 
     independence; and
       (4) to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives 
     while working in their profession;
       Whereas the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 
     (Public Law 111-166) expanded the examination of the freedom 
     of the press around the world in the annual Country Reports 
     on Human Rights Practices published by the Department of 
     State;
       Whereas, on December 18, 2013, and December 18, 2019, the 
     United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 68/163 and 
     Resolution 74/157, respectively, on the safety of journalists 
     and the problem of impunity by unequivocally condemning all 
     attacks on, and violence against, journalists and media 
     workers, including torture, extrajudicial killing, enforced 
     disappearance, arbitrary detention, and intimidation and 
     harassment in conflict and non-conflict situations;
       Whereas the First Amendment to the United States 
     Constitution and various State constitutions protect freedom 
     of the press in the United States;
       Whereas the United States Government has used the Global 
     Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of 
     title XII of Public Law 114-328) to place targeted visa and 
     economic sanctions on individuals, including for their roles 
     in the targeted killings of journalists;
       Whereas, in an effort to combat attacks against 
     journalists, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in February 
     2021 announced the Khashoggi Ban, a new policy allowing the 
     Department of State to impose visa restrictions on 
     individuals who, acting on behalf of a foreign government, 
     are believed to have been directly engaged in serious, 
     extraterritorial counter-dissident activities, including 
     activities that suppress, harass, surveil, threaten, or harm 
     journalists, activists, or other persons perceived to be 
     dissidents for their work;
       Whereas the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by 
     Reporters Without Borders, warns that the COVID-19 pandemic 
     ``illustrates the negative factors threatening the right to 
     reliable information'' and amplifies the many crises that 
     threaten media freedom and pluralism;
       Whereas the Freedom in the World 2022 report, published by 
     Freedom House, marked the 16th consecutive year of decline in 
     global freedom, with ``some 38 percent of the global 
     population liv[ing] in Not Free countries, the highest 
     proportion since 1997'', and the organization's Freedom on 
     the Net 2021 report identified 11 consecutive years of 
     decline in internet freedom.
       Whereas worsening media freedom has been one of the key 
     drivers of these global declines, including attacks and 
     prosecutions against journalists, pressure on media outlets, 
     repressive regulatory and legal frameworks, internet 
     shutdowns, and blocks on online sources of information;
       Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect 
     Journalists--
       (1) at least 27 journalists were killed in 2021, 21 of whom 
     were singled out in retaliation for their work;
       (2) India and Mexico had the most retaliatory killings in 
     2021;
       (3) at least 293 journalists were imprisoned in relation to 
     their work on December 1, 2021, marking the sixth consecutive 
     year that at least 250 journalists were imprisoned globally;
       (4) China, Myanmar, Egypt, Vietnam, Belarus, and Turkey 
     were responsible for nearly 50 percent of all jailed 
     journalists worldwide; and
       (5) journalists around the world have been targeted by 
     sophisticated spyware products that pose a severe risk to 
     their safety and the safety of their sources;
       Whereas the Freedom to Write Index 2021, published by PEN 
     America, noted that at least 277 writers and public 
     intellectuals, including columnists and editorial 
     journalists, were jailed across 36 different countries during 
     2021;
       Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, 362 
     journalists, 93 citizen journalists, and 20 media assistants 
     were imprisoned as of April 22, 2022;
       Whereas since the start of the Russia's full-scale 
     offensive against Ukraine, Reporters Without Borders has 
     documented attacks directly targeting journalists wearing a 
     ``Press'' armband including--
       (1) the killing of 7 journalists;
       (2) the torture by electric shock, beatings, and mock 
     executions of journalists working for the international 
     press; and
       (3) the targeted kidnappings of journalists and their 
     families in occupied regions of Ukraine to put pressure on 
     their reporting;
       Whereas in the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, Ukrainian 
     journalists and bloggers have repeatedly been threatened, 
     arbitrarily arrested, and tortured for resisting Russian 
     occupation, such as the detention of Crimean journalist 
     Vladyslav Yesipenko and Crimean Tatar journalists Osman 
     Arifmemetov, Rustem Sheikhaliev, and Remzi Bekirov;
       Whereas media workers face heightened dangers in Russia, 
     leading up to and following draconian censorship laws passed 
     in the wake of the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine 
     have intensified already wide-spread harassment, repression, 
     and government-driven retaliation, including in the cases 
     of--
       (1) Sergey Mikhaylov, publisher of independent newspaper 
     Listok, who was arrested for spreading ``fakes'' about the 
     Russian military;
       (2) Mikhail Afanasyev, editor-in-chief of the online 
     magazine Novy Fokus, who was charged with spreading false 
     information about the Russian military;
       (3) Natalya Tyshkevich, Vladimir Metelkin, Alla Gutnikova, 
     and Armen Aramyan, the editors of student magazine DOXA, who 
     were detained after refusing to take down a video informing 
     Russian youth of their right to protest in support of 
     Navalny; and
       (4) Novaya Gazeta, a landmark independent newspaper, which 
     ceased publication in Russia after receiving ominous warnings 
     from Russia's media regulator under its foreign agents law;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China, 
     which according to Reporters Without Borders is currently 
     detaining at least 127 journalists and forced 18 foreign 
     correspondents to leave the country in 2020, has unleashed an 
     onslaught of attacks on press freedom in China and Hong Kong, 
     including through--
       (1) state-sponsored censorship and disinformation campaigns 
     limiting access to information about the novel coronavirus, 
     including through its censorship of virus-related keywords on 
     social media platforms;
       (2) attacks on press freedom in Hong Kong, including the 
     passage of the National Security Law, which poses an 
     existential threat to the city's tradition of press freedom, 
     and the arrest and subsequent conviction of Jimmy Lai, owner 
     of Hong Kong's largest media outlet, Apple Daily, and an 
     outspoken democracy advocate;
       (3) arrests or other repressive actions against independent 
     journalists and others in mainland China attempting to share 
     uncensored news or opinion about the COVID-19 outbreak, 
     including the detention of citizen journalist Chen Qiushi, 
     who disappeared without explanation for longer than 600 days;
       (4) the detention of journalists critical of the Government 
     of China, including Chen Jieren, who remains in prison after 
     being sentenced to 15 years in 2020, following 2 years of 
     incommunicado detention, after blogging about allegations of 
     corrupt local officials; and
       (5) the 2017 disappearance of Uyghur journalist and poet 
     Qurban Mamut following a visit to the United States to visit 
     his son, and his subsequent detention and 15-year prison 
     sentence for alleged ``political crimes'';
       Whereas Afghanistan under the Taliban remains one of the 
     most repressive countries for journalists, with journalists 
     subject to arrest, beatings and arbitrary restrictions on 
     their work;
       Whereas Belarus has witnessed sweeping attacks against the 
     press since Alexander Lukashenka's fraudulent election in 
     August 2020, with journalists and media workers harassed, 
     assaulted, imprisoned, or otherwise retaliated against for 
     their work, including--
       (1) Raman Pratasevich, a journalist in exile whose plane 
     from Greece to Lithuania was illegally diverted by Belarusian 
     authorities and forced to land in Minsk, allowing Pratasevich 
     and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega to be arrested;

[[Page S2278]]

       (2) Andrey Kuznechyk, a journalist who, while working for 
     Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in November 
     2021 and is facing unspecified charges; and
       (3) Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Daria Chultsova, journalists 
     sentenced to 2 years in prison (on charges of violating 
     public order) for filming live coverage of the violent 
     dispersal of a protest against President Lukashenka;
       (4) 15 journalists and other employees of leading 
     independent media outlet Tut.By, including respected chief 
     editor, Maryna Zolotava, were arrested in May 2021, and most 
     of them remain in custody on charges of tax evasion ;
       (5) Ihar Losik, a blogger who is also affiliated with Radio 
     Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was sentenced to 15 years in 
     prison in December 2021 for allegedly violating public order;
       (6) Aleh Hruzdzilovich, a Narodnaya Volya and former Radio 
     Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent who was sentenced in 
     March 2022 to 1\1/2\ years in prison for allegedly 
     participating in protests;
       Whereas Reporters Without Borders asserts that ``press 
     freedom in [Burma] has been set back ten years in ten days'' 
     after the February 2021 military coup, since--
       (1) media workers were forced into hiding and confronted 
     censorship, harassment, internet blocks, beatings, 
     interrogations, threats, and injuries at the hands of the 
     military;
       (2) multiple independent media outlets had to cease 
     operations or close altogether or had their licenses revoked 
     by the military; and
       (3) journalists were detained at alarming rates, with 26 
     journalists in prison at the end of 2021;
       Whereas Cuba remains a highly restricted environment for 
     independent media, marked by internet restrictions and 
     constant harassment of journalists and news outlets, 
     including--
       (1) Luz Escobar, a journalist who was repeatedly barred by 
     security forces from leaving her home;
       (2) new regulations imposed in August 2021 that criminalize 
     the online dissemination of ``false'' or ``offensive'' 
     information; and
       (3) the detention of at least 7 journalists during the July 
     2021 anti-government protests;
       Whereas Egypt's restrictions on the media have accelerated 
     under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi since 2013, with at 
     least 25 journalists imprisoned during 2021, including--
       (1) Alaa Abd El Fattah, a blogger, who was sentenced to 5 
     years in prison for ``broadcasting false news'' after having 
     already endured torture and a hunger strike during his time 
     in jail;
       (2) Ismail Alexandrani, an Egyptian freelance journalist, 
     who was detained in November 2015 and later sentenced to 10 
     years in prison by a military court for his counterterrorism 
     research in the North Sinai;
       (3) Hisham Abdel Aziz, an Al Jazeera journalist who is on 
     the verge of losing his eyesight following untreated glaucoma 
     while in prison; and
       (4) Mahmoud Abou Zeid, who was released after 5 years in 
     prison, but remains subject to a 5-year probation term that 
     requires his continuous presence at a police station between 
     6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. every night;
       Whereas assaults on press freedom in El Salvador imperil 
     its fragile democracy and include both verbal attacks on 
     journalists by political leaders and the use of state power 
     to intimidate independent media, such as--
       (1) the ongoing criminal investigation against outlet El 
     Faro, which was launched after it reported damaging 
     information about the administration;
       (2) the online attacks and threats to journalists from the 
     outlet Revista Factum, which has been banned from press 
     conferences at the presidential residence; and
       (3) the adoption of a new law that imposes prison sentences 
     ranging from 10 to 15 years for certain reporting on criminal 
     groups, such as gangs;
       Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders and Freedom 
     House, Indian authorities have recently imposed internet and 
     communication blackouts, detained and charged journalists 
     covering political demonstrations, and called for the 
     temporary blockage of journalists and media accounts on 
     Twitter;
       (1) Gautam Navlakha, a journalist and activist, who has 
     been awaiting trial since April 2020 on charges of 
     ``instigating caste violence'', has been denied bail on 
     medical grounds multiple times, and is currently detained in 
     solitary confinement;
       (2) Anand Teltumbde, a columnist and writer, who has been 
     detained since April 2020, charged with illegally associating 
     with a Maoist group, and has been denied bail 3 times despite 
     a serious medical condition and overcrowded jails during the 
     COVID-19 pandemic;
       Whereas Iran remains the fourth-highest jailer of writers 
     and public intellectuals worldwide, promoting an extremely 
     hostile environment for the press, severely restricting 
     freedoms of the press and of speech, and subjecting media 
     workers to aggressive intimidation, arbitrary summons, 
     arrests, travel bans, conditional releases, torture, inhumane 
     treatment, and unsubstantiated and unjust sentences, 
     including--
       (1) freelance journalist Fariborz Kalantari, who was 
     sentenced on February 7, 2021, to 7 years in prison and 74 
     lashes for using his telegram channel to circulate articles 
     about corruption charges brought against the ex-Vice 
     President's brother;
       (2) the editor of weekly Agrin Rozh, Mahmoud Mahmoudi, who 
     was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in 
     Sanandaj after issuing an open letter calling for the release 
     of detained Kurdish activists;
       (3) freelance blogger and activist Seyed Hossein Ronaghi 
     Maleki, who was forcefully taken to an unknown location by 
     unidentified security forces on February 23, 2022, after 
     condemning the ratification of the ``User Protection Bill,'' 
     a piece of legislation that restricts Iranians' access to the 
     internet;
       (4) freelance photojournalist Nooshin Jafari, who was 
     arrested in 2021 and sentenced to a 4-year prison term for 
     ``spreading anti-state propaganda'' and ``insulting 
     sanctities'';
       (5) Iranian journalist Navid Seyed-Mohammadi, a Kurdish 
     reporter for the state-run Islamic Republic Radio and 
     Television broadcaster, who was arrested in May 2020 and is 
     serving a 7-year prison sentence for ``espionage for hostile 
     states''; and
       (6) Iranian journalist Khosrow Sadeghi Borojeni, who is 
     serving a 7-year sentence in Tehran's Evin Prison for 
     ``colluding against national security and insulting the 
     Islamic republic's founder'' in relation to his critical 
     writing. After being arrested and released on bail in May 
     2019, he began his prison sentence in August 2020;
       Whereas Reporters Without Borders reported that Mexico 
     continues to be one of the world's deadliest countries for 
     journalists, where reporters covering stories on political 
     corruption and organized crime are frequently assaulted and 
     murdered, including--
       (1) 8 journalists killed during the first 4 months of 2022;
       (2) Gustavo Sanchez Cabrera, a reporter who covered crime 
     and politics and who was gunned down in front of his son;
       (3) Ricardo Dominguez Lopez, the founder and editor of news 
     website InfoGuaymas; and
       (4) broadcast journalist Lourdes Maldonado Lopez and 
     photojournalist Margarito Martinez, who were killed in 
     Tijuana within a week of each other in January 2022;
       Whereas Haiti is the second deadliest country in the 
     Western Hemisphere for journalists, with 3 journalists killed 
     during the first 4 months of 2022, following a steady uptick 
     of near-fatal and fatal violence against the press over the 
     last several years;
       Whereas the years-long persecution of journalists in 
     Nicaragua continues, including news outlets forced to close 
     and individual journalists being threatened, harassed, sued, 
     surveilled, jailed, and forced into exile, including--
       (1) Miguel Mendoza, who was given a 9-year prison sentence 
     in February for undermining national integrity and 
     disseminating false news; and
       (2) Miguel Mora, former director of 100% Noticias, who was 
     given 13-year prison sentence in February 2022 for 
     ``conspiracy to undermine national integrity'';
       Whereas Honduras remains one of the Western Hemisphere's 
     deadliest countries for journalists, where those working for 
     opposition media or who are outspoken critics of the 
     government are subjected to harassment, intimidation, and 
     death threats by the country's security forces and its 
     affiliates;
       Whereas in Peru, criminal defamation lawsuits and 
     legislation have been used to harass and silence 
     investigative journalists who write about prominent political 
     figures;
       Whereas the Office of the Director of National Intelligence 
     has concluded that the murder of Washington Post journalist 
     and American resident Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018 was 
     approved by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman;
       Whereas impunity continues for the Saudi officials involved 
     in the 2018 assassination of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi;
       Whereas the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia maintains an especially 
     hostile environment towards journalists through systematic 
     and arbitrary arrests, torture and inhumane or degrading 
     treatment, lengthy pre-trial detentions, political 
     persecution, and conditional release restrictions, which 
     inhibit reporters and columnists from traveling or returning 
     to their professional work post-detention, including--
       (1) Maha Al-Rafidi Al-Qahtani, a journalist and writer 
     arrested in September 2019, held in solitary confinement, and 
     physically abused while in prison;
       (2) Abdulrahman Farhana, a columnist detained in February 
     2019, charged with membership in a terrorist organization;
       (3) Zuhair Kutbi, a journalist jailed in January 2019, who 
     reportedly suffers from torture, malnourishment, and denial 
     of cancer treatment in prison; and
       (4) Raif Badawi, a blogger who recently completed a 10-year 
     prison sentence on blasphemy charges, and who remains 
     subjected to a further 10-year travel ban which prevents him 
     from uniting with his family who received asylum in Canada;
       Whereas the battle for a free press continues to be fought 
     in South and Southeast Asia, where--
       (1) Bangladeshi journalists have repeatedly been arrested 
     and charged under the Digital Security Act, some of whom have 
     been subjected to torture and one of whom died in custody;
       (2) journalist and Nobel Prize laureate, Maria Ressa has 
     been targeted by the Government of the Philippines' 
     aggressive campaign against independent media after her 
     reporting on, among other topics, President Duterte's ``war 
     on drugs'';
       (3) Vietnamese journalists Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong 
     Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan

[[Page S2279]]

     were each sentenced to more than 10 years in prison; and
       (4) Pham Doan Trang, a Vietnamese journalist and writer, 
     following a year in detention, was sentenced to 9 years in 
     prison for ``anti-state propaganda'' in a judicial proceeding 
     and imprisonment declared ``arbitrary'' by the United Nations 
     Working Group on Arbitrary Detention;
       Whereas press freedom continues to face challenges in sub-
     Saharan Africa, including in--
       (1) Ethiopia, where a crackdown on the press amid the 
     ongoing civil conflict has included--
          (A) the 1-week suspension of the independent publication 
     Addis Standard;
          (B) the expulsion of New York Times reporter Simon 
     Marks;
          (C) the arbitrary arrests of numerous journalists who 
     have been detained for up to several months, making the 
     country the second-worst jailer of journalists in Sub-Saharan 
     Africa;
          (D) the exile of several other journalists who left the 
     country afraid of persecution, according to the Committee to 
     Protect Journalists;
          (E) the November 2021 arrest of Bikila Amenu and Dessu 
     Dulla, 2 journalists who remain imprisoned as of April 2022;
          (F) the May 2021 killing of journalist Sisay Fida, which 
     was documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists to 
     have occurred in connection to his journalistic work; and
          (G) the January 2021 killing of another journalist, 
     Dawit Kebede Araya, for reasons that remain unclear;
       (2) Nigeria, where journalist Luke Binniyat was arrested in 
     November 2021, was released on bail in February 2022, and 
     faces 3 years in prison if convicted of sending false 
     information under the Cybercrimes Act; and
       (3) Eritrea, where--
          (A) Medhanie Haile, co-founder of the Keste Debena 
     newspaper, has been detained incommunicado since September 
     2001 and is suffering from serious health issues due to harsh 
     prison conditions;
          (B) Temesgen Ghebreyesus, editor of the Keste Debena 
     newspaper, has also been detained incommunicado since 
     September 2001;
          (C) Idris Said Aba Arre, a freelance journalist and 
     author, has been detained incommunicado and without charges 
     since October 2001 after denouncing the mass arrest of a 
     group of politicians known as the G-15;
          (D) Dawit Isaak, co-owner of the newspaper Setit, since 
     his arrest in September 2001, has been tortured, has been 
     held in solitary confinement, and has been suffering from 
     medical conditions which have worsened during detention; and
          (E) Amanuel Asrat, a poet and editor-in-chief of Zemen, 
     has been detained incommunicado since 2001;
       Whereas the Turkish Journalists' Association reported 
     that--
       (1) in 2021--
          (A) 115 journalists faced physical violence;
          (B) 73 journalists were detained, with at least 44 
     journalists remaining in prison at the end of the year;
       (2) 3 out of every 5 journalists face threats during their 
     career; and
       (3) Turkey is maintaining its standing as--
          (A) one of the world's most oppressive environments for 
     press freedom; and
          (B) one of the world's leading jailers of journalists;
       Whereas in Turkey, the continued persecution of journalists 
     and writers, initially targeted in 2016 during a nation-wide 
     crackdown on dissent following the failed 2016 coup against 
     President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has resulted in lengthy 
     sentences and judicial harassment, including Gultekin Avc(, a 
     writer and former columnist with now-shuttered Bugun, who was 
     sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole 
     in December 2020 for ``conspiracy'', where his columns were 
     used as evidence of his alleged crime;
       Whereas Morocco has experienced severe crackdowns on 
     freedom of expression and supporters of a free press, 
     including--
       (1) Taoufik Bouachrine, the publisher and editor-in-chief 
     of Akhbar al-Youm, who was arrested in February 2018 on 
     retaliatory charges related to his journalism and is serving 
     a 15-year sentence;
       (2) Soulaimane Raissouni, a columnist and editor-in-chief 
     Akhbar al-Youm, who succeeded publisher Taoufik Bouachrine 
     and was arrested on similar retaliatory charges in May 2020 
     and is serving a 5-year sentence;
       (3) Ali Anouzla, a journalist and editor of the news 
     website Lakome, who has been repeatedly arrested on 
     retaliatory charges relating to his journalism including 
     ``appologism for terrorism'', ``material aid for terrorism'', 
     and ``incitement to terrorism'';
       (4) Maati Monjib, a historian and advocate for free press, 
     who was detained in December 2020 for 3 months on specious 
     national security and fraud charges and remains subject to 
     restrictive bail conditions;
       (5) Omar Radi, a journalist who was arrested on suspicion 
     of espionage in June 2020 shortly after Amnesty International 
     reported that the Moroccan authorities hacked his phone and 
     monitored his activities;
       Whereas the Government of Venezuela continues to target 
     independent media outlets, restricting the exercise of 
     freedom of expression and severely limiting Venezuelan access 
     to accurate information;
       Whereas American journalists have been victimized while 
     covering conflicts abroad, including--
       (1) Christopher Allen, who was killed while covering the 
     conflict in South Sudan on August 26, 2017, and whose killing 
     has yet to be investigated by authorities after nearly 5 
     years;
       (2) Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in Syria and has been 
     held in captivity since August 12, 2012; and
       (3) Brent Renaud, who was killed by Russian forces while 
     covering the war in Ukraine on March 13, 2022;
       Whereas, under the auspices of the United States Agency for 
     Global Media, the United States Government provides financial 
     assistance to several editorially independent media outlets, 
     including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 
     Radio Free Asia, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and the 
     Middle East Broadcast Networks--
       (1) which report and broadcast news, information, and 
     analysis in critical regions around the world; and
       (2) whose journalists regularly face harassment, fines, and 
     imprisonment for their work; and
       Whereas press freedom--
       (1) is a key component of democratic governance, activism 
     in civil society, and socioeconomic development; and
       (2) enhances public accountability, transparency, and 
     participation in civil society and democratic governance:
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) declares that a free press--
       (A) is a central component of free societies and democratic 
     governance;
       (B) contributes to an informed civil society and government 
     accountability;
       (C) helps to expose corruption;
       (D) enhances public accountability and transparency of 
     governments at all levels; and
       (E) disseminates information that is essential to improving 
     public health and safety;
       (2) expresses concerns about threats to the exercise of 
     freedom of expression, including by the press, around the 
     world;
       (3) recognizes and commends journalism's role in providing 
     trusted, accurate, and timely information and in holding 
     governments and leaders accountable to citizens;
       (4) is dismayed that, under cover of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
     many governments have restricted the work of journalists 
     reporting on the public health crisis and on peaceful 
     protests on a variety of issues;
       (5) pays tribute to journalists who made tremendous 
     sacrifices, including the loss of their lives, in the pursuit 
     of truth and justice;
       (6) condemns all actions around the world that suppress 
     press freedom;
       (7) calls for the unconditional and immediate release of 
     all wrongfully detained journalists;
       (8) reaffirms the centrality of press freedom to efforts of 
     the United States Government to support democracy, mitigate 
     conflict, and promote good governance domestically and around 
     the world; and
       (9) calls on the President and the Secretary of State--
       (A) to preserve and build upon the leadership of the United 
     States on issues relating to press freedom, on the basis of 
     the protections for freedom of the press afforded the 
     American people under the First Amendment to the Constitution 
     of the United States;
       (B) to transparently investigate and bring to justice the 
     perpetrators of attacks against journalists; and
       (C) to promote the respect and protection of press freedom 
     around the world.

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