III

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 303

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the treatment by the Russian

Federation of Andrei Babitsky, a Russian journalist working for Radio

Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 4, 2000

Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, and Mr. GRAMS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the treatment

by the Russian Federation of Andrei Babitsky, a Russian

journalist working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Whereas Andrei Babitsky, an accomplished Russian journalist working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a

United States Government-funded broadcasting service,

faces serious charges in Russia after being held captive

and beaten by Russian authorities;

Whereas the mission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s

bureaus in Russia is to provide Russian listeners objective and uncensored reporting on developments in Russia

and around the world;
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•SRES 303 IS

Whereas Russian authorities repeatedly denounced Mr.

Babitsky for his reporting on the war in Chechnya, including his documentation of Russian troop casualties

and the Russian Federation’s brutal treatment of

Chechen civilians;

Whereas Senate Resolutions 223 and 262 of the One Hundred Sixth Congress condemning the violence in

Chechnya and urging a peaceful resolution to the conflict

were adopted by the Senate by unanimous consent on

November 19, 1999, and February 24, 2000, respectively;

Whereas on January 16, Mr. Babitsky was arrested by Russian police in the Chechen battle zone, was accused of assisting the Chechen forces, and was told he was to stand

trial in Moscow;

Whereas Russian authorities took Mr. Babitsky to a ‘‘filtration camp’’ for suspected Chechen collaborators where he

was severely beaten and then transferred to an undisclosed location;

Whereas on February 3, the Government of the Russian Federation announced that it had traded Mr. Babitsky to

Chechen units in exchange for Russian prisoners, a violation of the Geneva Conventions to which Russia is a

party;

Whereas on February 25, Mr. Babitsky was released by his

captors in the Republic of Dagestan, only to be jailed by

Russian officials for carrying false identity papers;

Whereas Mr. Babitsky says the papers were forced on him by

his captors and used to smuggle him across borders;

Whereas Mr. Babitsky now faces charges from the Government of the Russian Federation of collaborating with the
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Chechens and carrying false identity papers and is not allowed to leave the city of Moscow;

Whereas on February 25, a senior advisor in Russia’s Foreign Ministry published an article in The Moscow Times

entitled ‘‘Should Liberty Leave?’’, which condemned the

coverage by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty of the war

in Chechnya, particularly reporting by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent Andrei Babitsky, and

which stated that it would ‘‘be better to close down the

branches of Radio Liberty on Russian territory’’;

Whereas on March 13, the Russian Ministry of the Press ordered Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Moscow Bureau to provide complete recordings of broadcasts between February 15 and March 15, an action that Radio

Free Europe/Radio Liberty described as ‘‘designed to intimidate us and others’’;

Whereas on March 14, the Russian Ministry of the Press

issued a directive to prevent the broadcast of interviews

from Chechen resistance leaders, an act of censorship

which undercuts the ability of Radio Free Europe/Radio

Liberty to fulfill its responsibilities as an objective news

organization;

Whereas the treatment of Mr. Babitsky intimidates other correspondents working in Russia, particularly those covering the tragic story unfolding in Chechnya;

Whereas Russia’s evolution into a stable democracy requires

a free and vibrant press; and

Whereas it is imperative that the United States Government

respond vigorously to the harassment and intimidation of

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate—
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1 (1) urges the Government of the Russian Fed2 eration to drop its charges against Mr. Babitsky;

3 (2) calls upon the Government of the Russian

4 Federation to provide a full accounting of Mr.

5 Babitsky’s detention;

6 (3) condemns the Russian Federation’s harass7 ment and intimidation of Radio Free Europe/Radio

8 Liberty and other news organizations;

9 (4) calls upon the Government of the Russian

10 Federation to adhere fully to the Universal Declara11 tion of Human Rights, which declares in Article 19

12 that ‘‘everyone has the right to freedom of opinion

13 and expression; this right includes the freedom to

14 hold opinions without interference and to seek, re15 ceive and impart information and ideas through any

16 media regardless of frontiers’’;

17 (5) urges the Government of the Russian Fed18 eration and the President of the United States to

19 implement the recommendations in Senate Resolu20 tions 223 and 262 of the One Hundred Sixth Con21 gress; and

22 (6) urges the President of the United States to

23 place these issues high on the agenda for his June
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1 4–5 summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin

2 of the Russian Federation.

Æ