H. Res. 397 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

June 5, 2007. 

Whereas on April 27, 2007, a crowd of more than 1,000 proRussian demonstrators gathered in Tallinn and riots 

broke out across the city; 

Whereas more than 153 people were injured as a result of 

the pro-Russian riots, and one died as a result of stabbing by another rioter; 

Whereas several stores in Tallinn and surrounding villages 

were looted as a result of the riots, and a statue of an 

Estonian general was set on fire; 

Whereas since April 27, 2007, the Government of Estonia 

has reported several cyber-attacks on its official lines of 

communication, including those of the Office of the President; 

Whereas on April 28, 2007, and in days following, the Embassy of Estonia in Moscow was surrounded by angry 

protesters who demanded the resignation of the Government of Estonia, tore down the flag of Estonia from the 

Embassy building, and subjected Embassy officials inside 

the building to violence and vandalism; 

Whereas on April 30, 2007, a delegation of the State Duma 

of the Russian Federation visited Estonia and issued an 

official statement at the Embassy of the Russian Federa-
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tion in Estonia that ‘‘the government of Estonia must 

step down’’; 

Whereas on May 2, 2007, the Ambassador of Estonia to the 

Russian Federation was physically attacked by protesters 

and members of youth groups during an official press 

conference; 

Whereas on May 2, 2007, the Swedish Ambassador to the 

Russian Federation was attacked as he left the Embassy 

of Estonia in Moscow, and his car was damaged by a 

crowd, resulting in a formal protest to the Russian Federation by the Swedish Foreign Ministry; 

Whereas the Government of Estonia has reported other coordinated attacks against Estonian embassies in Helsinki, 

Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Riga, Prague, Kiev, and 

Minsk, and the Estonian Consulate in St. Petersburg; 

Whereas on May 2, 2007, Prime Minister of Estonia Andrus 

Ansip stated that a ‘‘sovereign state is under a heavy attack’’ and that the events constitute ‘‘a well-coordinated 

and flagrant intervention with the internal affairs of Estonia’’; 

Whereas on May 2, 2007, the public prosecutor’s office of 

Estonia initiated an investigation into the cyber-attacks 

against Internet servers in Estonia and requested cooperation from the Russian Federation to identify the 

source of the attacks; 

Whereas on May 2, 2007, the European Commission expressed its solidarity with Estonia and urged Russia to 

respect its obligations to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, done at Vienna April 18, 1961, and end 

the blockade of the Embassy of Estonia in Moscow; and 
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•HRES 397 EH 

Whereas the Embassy of Estonia in Russia has been closed 

since April 27, 2007, and Estonia has suspended consular services to Moscow because conditions remain unsafe for Embassy officials: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) expresses its strong support for Estonia as a 

sovereign state and a member of the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization of 

Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as it deals 

with matters internal to its country; 

(2) condemns recent acts of violence, vandalism, 

and looting that have taken place in Estonia; 

(3) condemns the attacks and threats against Estonia’s embassies and officials in Russia and other countries; 

(4) urges all activists involved to express their views 

peacefully and reject violence; 

(5) honors the sacrifice of all those, including soldiers of the Red Army, that gave their lives in the fight 

to defeat Nazism; 

(6) condemns any and all efforts to callously exploit 

the memory of the victims of the Second World War for 

political gain; 

(7) supports the efforts of the Government of Estonia to initiate a dialogue with appropriate levels of the 

Government of the Russian Federation to resolve the cri-
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•HRES 397 EH 

sis peacefully and to sustain cooperation between their 

two sovereign, independent states; and 

(8) urges the governments of all countries— 

(A) to condemn the violence that has occurred 

in Estonia, Moscow, and elsewhere in 2007 and to 

urge all parties to express their views peacefully; 

(B) to assist the Government of Estonia in its 

investigation into the source of cyber-attacks; and 

©) to fulfill their obligations under the Vienna 

Convention on Diplomatic Relations, done at Vienna 

April 18, 1961. 

Attest: 

Clerk.