III 

Calendar No. 243 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 211 

Condemning the violence and persecution in Chechnya. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 29, 2017 

Mr. TOOMEY (for himself, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. 

COLLINS, Mr. COONS, Mr. LANKFORD, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. 

BROWN, Mr. RUBIO, Ms. WARREN, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, 

Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. HELLER, 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. HATCH, Mr. CASEY, 

Mr. INHOFE, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. 

KAINE, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BOOKER, Mrs. MURRAY, 

Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. HARRIS, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. UDALL, Mr. REED, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. CARPER, 

Mr. SCHUMER, and Mr. MCCAIN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

OCTOBER 16, 2017 

Reported by Mr. CORKER, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the violence and persecution in Chechnya. 

Whereas, on April 1, 2017, the Russian newspaper Novaya 

Gazeta reported that authorities in Chechnya, a republic 

of the Russian Federation, had abducted, detained, and 


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•SRES 211 RS 

tortured over 100 men due to their actual or suspected 

sexual orientation; 

Whereas multiple independent and first-hand accounts have 

subsequently corroborated the Novaya Gazeta report, and 

describe a campaign of persecution by Chechen officials 

against men due to their actual or suspected sexual orientation; 

Whereas, as a result of this persecution, at least three deaths 

have been reported and many individuals have been 

forced to flee Chechnya; 

Whereas Chechen officials have denied the existence of such 

persecution, including through a statement by the spokesman for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov that ‘‘You cannot arrest or repress people who don’t exist in the republic.’’; 

Whereas the same spokesman for Ramzan Kadyrov has also 

stated that ‘‘If such people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement would not have to worry about them, as their 

own relatives would have sent them to where they could 

never return,’’ and credible reports indicate that Chechen 

authorities have encouraged families to carry out socalled ‘‘honor killings’’ of relatives due to their actual or 

suspected sexual orientation; 

Whereas Chechnya is a constituent republic of the Russian 

Federation and subject to its laws, and Ramzan Kadyrov 

was installed as the leader of Chechnya by Russian President Vladimir Putin; 

Whereas Chechen authorities have a long history of violating 

the fundamental human rights of their citizens, including 

through extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, 

and torture of government critics; 


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•SRES 211 RS 

Whereas Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports of persecution in Chechnya and termed them 

‘‘phantom complaints’’; 

Whereas Russia’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Tatyana 

Moskalkova, has also claimed that such reports should 

not be believed because formal complaints have not been 

registered with the appropriate authorities; 

Whereas the Russian Federation is a participating State of 

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

and a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights, and thus has agreed to guarantee the fundamental human rights of all of its citizens; 

Whereas, on April 7, 2017, the United States Department of 

State issued a statement saying ‘‘We categorically condemn the persecution of individuals based on their sexual 

orientation’’ and urging the Government of the Russian 

Federation to take steps to ensure the release of all those 

wrongfully detained in Chechnya, and to conduct a credible investigation of the reports; and 

Whereas, on April 17, 2017, United States Ambassador to 

the United Nations Nikki Haley issued a statement saying ‘‘Chechen authorities must immediately investigate 

these allegations, hold anyone involved accountable, and 

take steps to prevent future abuses. We are against all 

forms of discrimination, including against people based 

on sexual orientation. When left unchecked, discrimination and human rights abuses can lead to destabilization 

and conflict.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

Whereas, on April 1, 2017, the Russian newspaper Novaya 

Gazeta reported that authorities in Chechnya, a republic 

of the Russian Federation, had abducted, detained, and 


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•SRES 211 RS 

tortured over 100 men due to their actual or suspected sexual orientation; 

Whereas multiple independent and first-hand accounts have 

subsequently corroborated the Novaya Gazeta report, and 

describe a campaign of persecution by Chechen officials 

against men due to their actual or suspected sexual orientation; 

Whereas, as a result of this persecution, at least three deaths 

have been reported and many individuals have been forced 

to flee Chechnya; 

Whereas Chechen officials have denied the existence of such persecution, including through a statement by the spokesman 

for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov that ‘‘You cannot arrest or repress people who just don’t exist in the republic.’’; 

Whereas the same spokesman for Ramzan Kadyrov has also 

stated that ‘‘If such people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement would not have to worry about them, as their 

own relatives would have sent them to where they could 

never return,’’ and credible reports indicate that Chechen 

authorities have encouraged families to carry out so-called 

‘‘honor killings’’ of relatives due to their actual or suspected sexual orientation; 

Whereas Chechnya is a republic of the Russian Federation and 

subject to its laws, and Ramzan Kadyrov was installed as 

the leader of Chechnya by Russian President Vladimir 

Putin; 

Whereas Chechen authorities have a long history of violating 

the fundamental human rights of their citizens, including 

through extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, 

and torture of government critics; 


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•SRES 211 RS 

Whereas Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports 

of persecution in Chechnya and termed them ‘‘phantom 

complaints’’; 

Whereas the Russian Federation is a participating State of the 

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and 

a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights, and thus has agreed to guarantee the fundamental 

human rights of all of its citizens; 

Whereas, on April 7, 2017, the United States Department of 

State issued a statement saying ‘‘We categorically condemn the persecution of individuals based on their sexual 

orientation’’ and urging the Government of the Russian 

Federation to take steps to ensure the release of all those 

wrongfully detained in Chechnya, and to conduct a credible investigation of the reports; and 

Whereas, on April 17, 2017, United States Ambassador to the 

United Nations Nikki Haley issued a statement saying 

‘‘Chechen authorities must immediately investigate these 

allegations, hold anyone involved accountable, and take 

steps to prevent future abuses. We are against all forms of 

discrimination, including against people based on sexual 

orientation. When left unchecked, discrimination and 

human rights abuses can lead to destabilization and conflict.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the violence and persecution in 

3 Chechnya and calls on Chechen officials to imme4 diately cease the abduction, detention, and torture of 

5 individuals on the basis of their actual or suspected 


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1 sexual orientation, and hold accountable all those in2 volved in perpetrating such abuses; 

3 (2) calls on the Government of the Russian 

4 Federation to protect the human rights of all its citi5 zens, condemn the violence and persecution, inves6 tigate these crimes in Chechnya, and hold account7 able all those involved in perpetrating such abuses; 

8 (3) calls on the United States Government to 

9 continue to condemn the violence and persecution in 

10 Chechnya, demand the release of individuals wrong11 fully detained, and identify those individuals whose 

12 involvement in this violence qualifies for the imposi13 tion of sanctions under the Sergei Magnitsky Rule 

14 of Law Accountability Act of 2012 (Public Law 

15 112–208; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) or the Global 

16 Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Public 

17 Law 114–328); and 

18 (4) affirms that the rights to freedom of assem19 bly, association, and expression and freedom from 

20 extrajudicial detention and violence are universal 

21 human rights that apply to all persons, and that 

22 countries that fail to respect these rights jeopardize 

23 the security and prosperity of all their citizens. 

24 That the Senate— 


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1 (1) condemns the violence and persecution in 

2 Chechnya and calls on Chechen officials to imme3 diately cease the abduction, detention, and torture of 

4 individuals on the basis of their actual or suspected 

5 sexual orientation, and hold accountable all those in6 volved in perpetrating such abuses; 

7 (2) calls on the Government of the Russian Fed8 eration to protect the human rights of all its citizens, 

9 condemn the violence and persecution, investigate the 

10 allegations in Chechnya, and hold accountable all 

11 those involved in perpetrating such abuses; 

12 (3) calls on the United States Government to 

13 continue to condemn the violence and persecution in 

14 Chechnya, demand the release of individuals wrong15 fully detained, and identify those individuals whose 

16 involvement in this violence qualifies for the imposi17 tion of sanctions under the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of 

18 Law Accountability Act of 2012 (Public Law 112– 

19 208; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) or the Global Magnitsky 

20 Human Rights Accountability Act (Public Law 114– 

21 328); and 

22 (4) affirms the fundamental human rights to 

23 peaceful assembly, freedom of association and expres24 sion, and freedom from arbitrary detention and tor25 ture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and 


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1 that governments that fail to respect these rights jeop2 ardize the security and prosperity of all their citizens. 


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Calendar No. 243 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 211 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the violence and persecution in 

Chechnya. 

OCTOBER 16, 2017 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 


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