IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 351 

Condemning the violence and persecution in Chechnya. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2017 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. ISSA, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. 

ROYCE of California, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Ms. 

NORTON, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of 

New York, Ms. TITUS, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. DENT, Ms. BROWNLEY of 

California, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. MACARTHUR, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. COOK, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. SIRES, Ms. 

FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. TENNEY, Mr. POCAN, Ms. HANABUSA, Mr. 

DONOVAN, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. COFFMAN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. 

DEUTCH, and Mr. SCHNEIDER) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

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 

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 

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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; 

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 

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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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

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 

6 sexual orientation, and hold accountable all those in7 volved in perpetrating such abuses; 

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1 (2) calls on the Government of the Russian 

2 Federation to protect the human rights of all its citi3 zens, condemn the violence and persecution, inves4 tigate these crimes in Chechnya, and hold account5 able all those involved in perpetrating such abuses; 

6 (3) calls on the United States Government to 

7 continue to condemn the violence and persecution in 

8 Chechnya and demand the release of individuals 

9 wrongfully detained; and 

10 (4) affirms that the rights to freedom of assem11 bly, association, and expression and freedom from 

12 extrajudicial detention and violence are universal 

13 human rights that apply to all persons, and that 

14 countries that fail to respect these rights jeopardize 

15 the security and prosperity of all their citizens. 

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