III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 600 

Recognizing widening threats to freedoms of the press and expression around 

the world, reaffirming the centrality of a free and independent press 

to the health of free societies and democracies, and reaffirming freedom 

of the press as a priority of the United States in promoting democracy, 

human rights, and good governance in commemoration of World Press 

Freedom Day on May 3, 2020. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 21, 2020 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. 

KAINE, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. COONS, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. MARKEY, Mrs. 

BLACKBURN, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. COLLINS, and Mr. CASEY) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing widening threats to freedoms of the press and 

expression around the world, reaffirming the centrality 

of a free and independent press to the health of free 

societies and democracies, and reaffirming freedom of 

the press as a priority of the United States in promoting 

democracy, human rights, and good governance in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 

2020. 

Whereas Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights, adopted in Paris December 10, 1948, states, 

‘‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and exVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:45 May 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR600.IS SR600

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pression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions 

without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of 

frontiers.’’; 

Whereas, in 1993, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 3rd of each year as ‘‘World Press Freedom 

Day’’— 

(1) to celebrate the fundamental principles of freedom of the press; 

(2) to evaluate freedom of the press around the 

world; 

(3) to defend the media against attacks on its independence; and 

(4) to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their 

lives while working in their profession; 

Whereas, on December 18, 2013, the United Nations General 

Assembly adopted Resolution 68/163, regarding the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity for crimes 

against journalists, which unequivocally condemns all attacks on, and violence against, journalists and media 

workers, including torture, extrajudicial killing, enforced 

disappearance, arbitrary detention, and intimidation and 

harassment in conflict and nonconflict situations; 

Whereas Thomas Jefferson, who recognized the importance 

of the press in a constitutional republic, wisely declared, 

‘‘were it left to me to decide whether we should have a 

government without newspapers, or newspapers without a 

government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the 

latter.’’; 

Whereas the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and various State constitutions protect freedom of 

the press in the United States; 


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Whereas the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 

(Public Law 111–166; 22 U.S.C. 2151 note), which was 

passed by unanimous consent in the Senate and signed 

into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, expanded 

the examination of the freedom of the press around the 

world in the annual Country Reports on Human Rights 

Practices of the Department of State; 

Whereas a vigilant commitment to freedom of the press is especially necessary in the wake of the COVID–19 pandemic— 

(1) as governments around the world are using 

emergency laws to restrict access to information, impose 

press restrictions, and suppress free speech; and 

(2) as journalists around the world are being 

censored and imprisoned for their reporting on the virus; 

Whereas in China, Chen Qiushi disappeared after reporting 

on the Government of the People’s Republic of China’s 

COVID–19 response in February 2020, Xu Zhiyong was 

reportedly detained in February 2020 during a COVID– 

19 prevention check after criticizing Chinese authorities, 

and reporters from The New York Times, Wall Street 

Journal, The Washington Post, Voice of America, and 

Time were expelled in March 2020; 

Whereas authorities in numerous countries, including Russia, 

Iran, Cuba, Burma (Myanmar), and Venezuela have— 

(1) restricted journalist movement; 

(2) hindered access to information; 

(3) removed content; and 

(4) threatened, harassed, attacked, and arrested 

journalists for their reporting on the COVID–19 pandemic; 


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Whereas, even prior to the COVID–19 pandemic, freedom of 

the press remained under considerable pressure throughout the world; 

Whereas Reporters Without Borders found that, as of April 

20, 2020, at least 229 journalists, 116 citizen journalists, 

and 14 media assistants were imprisoned worldwide; 

Whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

at least 25 journalists were killed around the world for 

their work in 2019; 

Whereas Freedom House’s publication ‘‘Freedom in the 

World 2020’’ noted that global freedom of expression has 

declined every year for the past 14 years; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

the world’s most censored countries include Eritrea, 

North Korea, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Vietnam, Iran, Equatorial Guinea, Belarus, and Cuba; 

Whereas the Government of the Philippines has waged a 

campaign of judicial harassment against a variety of 

independent press outlets, including the news website 

Rappler and its editor, Maria Ressa, who has been arrested twice; 

Whereas in Russia, Crimean Tatar freelance journalist 

Nariman Memedeminov was sentenced to 30 months in 

prison for reporting on human rights violations by Russian authorities in Crimea; 

Whereas in Cuba, the Committee to Protect Journalists and 

Amnesty International have written to the Cuban authorities to request the immediate release of journalist 

Roberto Quin ̃ones, who has been imprisoned since September 2019; 


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Whereas in Venezuela, freelance journalist Darvinson Rojas 

has been detained since March 21, 2020, for reporting on 

presumed COVID–19 cases that were unacknowledged by 

the Government of Venezuela; 

Whereas in Mexico, Quinto Poder de Veracruz founder Marı ́a 

Elena Ferral, El Graffico reporter Jorge Celestino Ruiz 

Va ́zquez, and journalists Nevith Condes Jaramilla, 

Rogelio Barraga ́n Pere ́z, and Norma Sarabia were all 

murdered between June 2019 and March 2020; 

Whereas in Niger, independent journalist Kaka Touda 

Mamane Goni was arrested on March 5, 2020, and faces 

up to 3 years in prison for publishing news reports on 

social media about potential COVID–19 cases; 

Whereas in Burundi, Iwacu journalists Christine Kamikazi, 

Agne`s Ndirubusa, Egide Harerimana, and Te ́rence 

Mpozenzi were convicted on charges of attempting to undermine state security and sentenced to 21⁄2 years in 

prison; 

Whereas in Tanzania, journalist Azory Gwanda has been 

missing since November 2017; 

Whereas Turkey remains one of the top jailers of independent 

journalists around the world, and the Government of 

Turkey closed down more than 100 news outlets during 

2019; 

Whereas in Egypt, prominent blogger and activist Alaa 

Abdelfattah was rearrested in September 2019, human 

rights activist and journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah was rearrested in October 2019, and Guardian reporter Ruth 

Michaelson’s press credentials were withdrawn for questioning official COVID–19 figures on March 16, 2020; 


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Whereas American journalist Austin Tice has been detained 

in Syria since August 14, 2012; 

Whereas female journalists and writers in Saudi Arabia face 

harsh personal consequences for their work, and Zana AlShari of the daily Al-Riyadh, Maha al-Rafidi al-Qahtani 

of the daily Al-Watan, and recipients of the 2019 PEN/ 

Barbey Freedom to Write Award Nouf Abdulaziz, 

Loujain Al-Hathloul, and Eman Al-Nafjan remain missing, imprisoned, or on trial due to their writing and outspoken women’s rights advocacy; 

Whereas the Senate has concluded that Washington Post 

journalist and United States resident Jamal Khashoggi 

was murdered by a team of Saudi operatives at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman; 

Whereas, under the auspices of the United States Agency for 

Global Media, the United States Government provides financial assistance to several editorially independent 

media outlets, including Voice of America, Radio Free 

Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio, the Office 

of Cuba Broadcasting, and the Middle East Broadcast 

Networks— 

(1) which report and broadcast news, information, 

and analysis in critical regions around the world; and 

(2) whose journalists regularly face harassment, 

fines, and imprisonment for their work; and 

Whereas freedom of the press is a key element of public 

transparency, civil society participation, socioeconomic 

development, and democratic governance: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) declares that a free press— 


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1 (A) is a central component of free soci2 eties, democratic governance, and contributes to 

3 an informed civil society, and government ac4 countability; 

5 (B) helps expose corruption, and enhances 

6 public accountability and transparency of gov7 ernments at all levels; and 

8 (C) disseminates information essential to 

9 improving public health and safety; 

10 (2) condemns threats to freedom of the press 

11 and free expression around the world; and 

12 (3) in remembrance of journalists who have lost 

13 their lives carrying out their vital work— 

14 (A) calls on governments abroad to imple15 ment United Nations General Assembly Resolu16 tion 68/163 (2013) by thoroughly investigating 

17 and seeking to resolve outstanding cases of vio18 lence against journalists, including murders and 

19 kidnappings, while ensuring the protection of 

20 witnesses; 

21 (B) condemns all actions around the world 

22 that suppress freedom of the press; 

23 (C) calls for the unconditional and imme24 diate release of all imprisoned journalists; 


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1 (D) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of 

2 the press to efforts of the United States Gov3 ernment to support democracy, mitigate con4 flict, and promote good governance domestically 

5 and around the world; and 

6 (E) calls upon the President and the Sec7 retary of State— 

8 (i) to preserve and build upon the 

9 leadership of the United States on issues 

10 relating to freedom of the press, on the 

11 basis of the protections afforded the Amer12 ican people under the First Amendment to 

13 the Constitution of the United States; 

14 (ii) to improve the rapid identification, 

15 publication, and response by the United 

16 States Government to threats against free17 dom of the press around the world; 

18 (iii) to urge foreign governments to 

19 protect the free flow of information and to 

20 transparently investigate and bring to jus21 tice the perpetrators of attacks against 

22 journalists; and 


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1 (iv) to promote the respect and pro2 tection of freedom of the press around the 

3 world. 

Æ 


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