[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 158 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4766-S4767]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 385--CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF EVAN 
GERSHKOVICH, A UNITED STATES CITIZEN AND JOURNALIST, WHO WAS WRONGFULLY 
   DETAINED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN MARCH 2023

  Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
Cassidy, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
Hickenlooper, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Van 
Hollen, Mr. Romney, Mr. Warner, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Graham, 
Mr. Wicker, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Young, Mr. 
Rubio, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Lankford) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 385

       Whereas United States citizen Evan Gershkovich is a 
     journalist for the Wall Street Journal;

[[Page S4767]]

       Whereas Evan Gershkovich is an accredited reporter, with a 
     history of working in Russia for the Moscow Times, Agence 
     France-Presse, and the Wall Street Journal;
       Whereas Evan Gershkovich is known to his family, friends, 
     and colleagues as someone who is adventurous, curious, and 
     who has an abiding love for Russia and its people;
       Whereas Evan Gershkovich, a trailblazing and intrepid 
     journalist, actively reported on stories across Russia, 
     including the vast wildfires across Siberia, the COVID-19 
     pandemic, the Russian economy, and the Government of the 
     Russian Federation's unlawful invasion of Ukraine;
       Whereas, on March 29, 2023, Evan Gershkovich was arrested 
     in Yekaterinburg while reporting on behalf of the Wall Street 
     Journal;
       Whereas, on April 7, 2023, the Government of the Russian 
     Federation charged Evan Gershkovich with espionage;
       Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has failed 
     to publicly provide evidence of Evan Gershkovich's criminal 
     action to credibly render a charge of espionage;
       Whereas the last time an American journalist was detained 
     on allegations of espionage in Russia was in 1986 during the 
     era of the Soviet Union;
       Whereas, on April 10, 2023, Secretary of State Antony 
     Blinken designated Evan Gershkovich wrongfully detained by 
     the Government of the Russian Federation; and
       Whereas, on April 17, 2023, the United States was joined by 
     46 United Nations Member States in a joint statement 
     expressing deep concern over the detention of Evan 
     Gershkovich by the Government of the Russian Federation: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to 
     immediately release Evan Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully 
     detained since March 2023;
       (2) urges all United States executive branch officials, 
     including President Joseph R. Biden, Secretary of State 
     Antony Blinken, and Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage 
     Affairs Roger D. Carstens, to raise the case of Evan 
     Gershkovich and to press for his immediate release in all 
     interactions with the Government of the Russian Federation;
       (3) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to 
     provide full, unfettered, and consistent consular access, in 
     accordance with its international obligations, to Evan 
     Gershkovich while he remains in detention;
       (4) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to 
     respect the human rights of Evan Gershkovich;
       (5) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to 
     respect the rights of accredited journalists to freely and 
     independently report the news without fear of arbitrary 
     detention or reprisal;
       (6) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to 
     desist from detaining, imprisoning, and otherwise seeking to 
     intimidate journalists in order to curtail or censor an 
     independent press;
       (7) condemns the Government of the Russian Federation's 
     continued use of detentions and prosecutions of United States 
     citizens and lawful permanent residents for political 
     purposes;
       (8) calls for the immediate release of Paul Whelan, who has 
     been wrongfully detained in Russia since December 2018;
       (9) expresses continued support for all American citizens 
     and lawful permanent residents detained in Russia and abroad, 
     including Marc Fogel, who faces a politicized, excessive 
     sentence for his alleged offense, Vladimir Kara-Murza, who 
     has endured multiple attempts on his life and years of 
     persecution by the Putin regime, and others; and
       (10) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with the 
     families of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and all other 
     American citizens and lawful permanent residents wrongfully 
     detained abroad for the personal hardship experienced as a 
     result of the arbitrary and baseless arrest and detention of 
     their loved ones.

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