IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 397 

Condemning violence in Estonia and attacks on Estonia’s embassies in 2007, 

and expressing solidarity with the Government and the people of Estonia. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 10, 2007 

Mr. SHIMKUS (for himself, Mrs. BONO, Mr. CAMP of Michigan, Mr. NEAL of 

Massachusetts, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. COSTA, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. HOLDEN, 

Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. PITTS, Mr. SMITH

of New Jersey, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. UPTON, Mr. SHUSTER, and Mr. 

COSTELLO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning violence in Estonia and attacks on Estonia’s 

embassies in 2007, and expressing solidarity with the 

Government and the people of Estonia. 

Whereas, on April 27, 2007, the Bronze Soldier Soviet monument in central Tallinn was moved to a prominent location in the Garrison Military Cemetery as a result of a 

decision by the Government of Estonia; 

Whereas the Government of Estonia communicated its reasons for this decision to the Government of the Russian 

Federation and offered to work with Russian officials 

during the process, which the Russian officials declined 

to do; 

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Whereas, on April 27, 2007, a crowd of more than 1,000 

demonstrators gathered at the site of the memorial and 

riots broke out across Tallinn; 

Whereas more than 153 people were injured as a result of 

the 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 Federation 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 

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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 

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 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) it is the sense of the House of Representa3 tives that the Soviet Union’s brutal, decades-long oc4 cupation of Estonia was illegal, illegitimate, and a 

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1 patent violation of Estonia’s sovereignty and right to 

2 self-determination; and 

3 (2) the House of Representatives— 

4 (A) expresses its strong support for Esto5 nia as a sovereign state and a member of the 

6 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 

7 and the Organization of Security and Coopera8 tion in Europe (OSCE) as it deals with matters 

9 internal to its country; 

10 (B) condemns recent acts of violence, van11 dalism, and looting that have taken place in Es12 tonia; 

13 (C) condemns the attacks and threats 

14 against Estonia’s embassies and officials in 

15 Russia and other countries; 

16 (D) urges all activists involved to express 

17 their views peacefully and reject violence; 

18 (E) honors the sacrifice of all those, in19 cluding soldiers of the Red Army, that gave 

20 their lives in the fight to defeat Nazism; 

21 (F) condemns any and all efforts to cal22 lously exploit the memory of the victims of the 

23 Second World War for political gain; 

24 (G) supports the efforts of the Government 

25 of Estonia to initiate a dialogue with appromstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

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1 priate levels of the Government of the Russian 

2 Federation to resolve the crisis peacefully and 

3 to sustain cooperation between their two sov4 ereign, independent states; and 

5 (H) urges the governments of all coun6 tries— 

7 (i) to condemn the violence that has 

8 occurred in Estonia, Moscow, and else9 where in 2007 and to urge all parties to 

10 express their views peacefully; 

11 (ii) to assist the Government of Esto12 nia in its investigation into the source of 

13 cyber-attacks; and 

14 (iii) to fulfill their obligations under 

15 the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Rela16 tions, done at Vienna April 18, 1961. 

Æ 

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