106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 404

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Calling for the immediate release of Mr. Edmond

Pope from prison in the Russian Federation forhumanitarian reasons, and for other purposes.

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 404

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas Mr. Edmond Pope of State College, Pennsylvania,

is a husband, father, grandfather, son, and United States

businessman;

Whereas Edmond Pope has visited the Russian Federation

27 times in order to foster better business and universitybased research relationships;
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Whereas Edmond Pope traveled to the Russian Federation in

late March 2000 in order to purchase commercially advertised underwater propulsion technology, as stated in

his visa approved by the Government of the Russian Federation;

Whereas Edmond Pope was arrested on April 3, 2000, in

Moscow, imprisoned in Lefortovo, and charged with espionage;

Whereas the Russian who allegedly committed an act of treason by aiding Edmond Pope was released and has been

living with his family;

Whereas Edmond Pope has been treated for

hemangiopericytoma, a rare form of cancer, that was in

remission prior to his travel;

Whereas Edmond Pope’s father is dying of multiple myeloma,

a type of bone cancer that can be hereditary;

Whereas Edmond Pope should receive routine medical care

by a qualified, trained professional in order to monitor

the possibility of a recurrence of cancer due to his highrisk potential;

Whereas Edmond Pope has missed his annual monitoring

visit resulting in a 14 month lapse since his last visit;

Whereas Edmond Pope’s prison conditions have caused a

dramatic loss in weight and his physical stature has deteriorated;

Whereas Edmond Pope has been denied the basic human

right of proper medical attention deserving of an individual in his condition;
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Whereas two Americans have died in the past few months

within prisons in the Russian Federation and another individual has recently died in Lefortovo;

Whereas Edmond Pope has been unjustly arrested and detained for more than 5 months, preventing him from celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary and the marriage

of his son, and during which time his mother-in-law

passed away;

Whereas recent events have shown that trials in the Russian

Federation involving alleged violations in the area of national security can take several years;

Whereas it is unlikely that Edmond Pope would survive a

lengthy trial; and

Whereas United States business and academic interests with

the Russian Federation are beginning to be detrimentally

impacted by this event: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That—

3 (1) the Congress calls on the Russian Federa4 tion, under the leadership of President Vladimir

5 Putin, to immediately release Mr. Edmond Pope of

6 State College, Pennsylvania, and to ensure that

7 proper and qualified medical attention is provided to

8 him in order to ensure that another loss of life does

9 not occur in a prison in the Russian Federation;

10 (2) it is the sense of the Congress that if Ed11 mond Pope is not released immediately the Presi12 dent should continue all efforts afforded to the ad-
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1 ministration to secure his release, including the con2 sideration of—

3 (A) terminating all assistance to the Gov4 ernment of the Russian Federation under the

5 Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the annual

6 Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Re7 lated Programs Appropriations Act for purposes

8 of preparing the Russian Federation’s entrance

9 or accession to the World Trade Organization

10 (WTO); and

11 (B) opposing any further debt relief of ob12 ligations owed to the United States Government

13 from the Government of the Russian Federa14 tion; and

15 (3) the President should increase efforts to se16 cure appropriate medical attention for Edmond

17 Pope.

Passed the House of Representatives October 10,

2000.

Attest:

Clerk.