III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 191 

Recognizing widening threats to freedom of the press and free expression 

around the world, reaffirming the vital role that a free and independent 

press plays in combating the growing threats of authoritarianism, misinformation, and disinformation, and reaffirming freedom of the press 

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

human rights, and good governance in commemoration of World Press 

Freedom Day on May 3, 2023. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 3, 2023 

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

MERKLEY, and Mr. VAN HOLLEN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing widening threats to freedom of the press and 

free expression around the world, reaffirming the vital 

role that a free and independent press plays in combating 

the growing threats of authoritarianism, misinformation, 

and disinformation, and reaffirming freedom of the press 

as a priority of the United States Government in promoting democracy, human rights, and good governance 

in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 

3, 2023. 


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

the press in the United States; 

Whereas Thomas Jefferson, who championed the necessity of 

a free press for a thriving democratic society, wisely declared, ‘‘Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, 

and that cannot be limited without being lost.’’; 

Whereas article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in Paris on December 10, 

1948, states, ‘‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; 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 the third day of May of each year to be ‘‘World 

Press Freedom Day’’— 

(1) to celebrate the fundamental principles of press 

freedom; 

(2) to evaluate press freedom 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 the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 

(Public Law 111–166) expanded the examination of the 

freedom of the press around the world in the annual 

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices published 

by the Department of State; 

Whereas, on December 18, 2013, and December 18, 2019, 

the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 


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68/163 and Resolution 74/157, respectively, on the safety 

of journalists and the problem of impunity by unequivocally condemning 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 

non-conflict situations; 

Whereas the United States Government has used the Global 

Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F 

of title XII of Public Law 114–328) to place targeted 

visa and economic sanctions on individuals, including for 

their roles in the targeted killings of journalists; 

Whereas, in an effort to combat attacks against journalists, 

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in February 2021, 

announced the Khashoggi Ban, a new policy allowing the 

Department of State to impose visa restrictions on individuals who, acting on behalf of a foreign government, 

are believed to have been directly engaged in serious, 

extraterritorial counter-dissident activities, including activities that suppress, harass, surveil, threaten, or harm 

journalists, activists, or other persons perceived to be dissidents for their work; 

Whereas Reporters Without Borders, in their compiled data 

from 2022, provide alarming indications about growing 

divisions resulting from the spread of disinformation with 

the potential to weaken democratic societies; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, a record 

total of 533 journalists were in prison as of December 1, 

2022, and the annual number of women journalists in 

prison has recently risen by nearly 30 percent; 


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Whereas Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2023 report marked the 17th consecutive year of decline in global freedom, with an estimated 39 percent of the global 

population living in countries deemed ‘‘Not Free’’; 

Whereas worsening media freedom has been one of the key 

drivers of declines in global freedom, including attacks 

and prosecutions against journalists, pressure on media 

outlets, repressive regulatory and legal frameworks, internet shutdowns, and blocks on online sources of information; 

Whereas journalists and media staff are being murdered, attacked, harassed and imprisoned around the world and 

the Committee to Protect Journalists has reported that— 

(1) at least 67 journalists and media workers were 

killed around the world in 2022, representing a rise compared to the previous year of almost 50 percent; 

(2) the vast majority of murders of journalists occur 

with impunity, with nearly 80 percent of the perpetrators 

of 263 murders of journalists from September 1, 2012, 

to August 31, 2022, facing no punishment; 

(3) Iran, China, Burma, Turkey, and Belarus were 

responsible for nearly 60 percent of all imprisoned journalists; and 

(4) journalists and media outlets around the world 

have been targeted by government actors with sophisticated spyware products that pose a severe risk to their 

security and the security of their sources and families; 

Whereas, according to PEN America, at least 311 writers 

and public intellectuals, including columnists and editorial journalists, were imprisoned across 36 different 

countries during 2022; 


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Whereas, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of 

Ukraine in February 2022, Reporters Without Borders 

has documented attacks directly targeting journalists, including— 

(1) the killing of 8 journalists and media workers; 

(2) the torture by electric shock, beatings, and mock 

executions of journalists working for the international 

press; 

(3) the targeted kidnappings of journalists and their 

families in occupied regions of Ukraine to put pressure 

on their reporting; and 

(4) the deliberate attacks targeting media facilities; 

Whereas, in the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, Ukrainian 

journalists and bloggers have repeatedly been threatened, 

arbitrarily arrested, and tortured for resisting Russian 

occupation, such as the detentions of Vladyslav 

Yesypenko Iryna Danylovych, Amet Suleimanov, Asan 

Akhmetov, Marlen Asanov, Nariman Celal, Oleksiy 

Bessarabov, Osman Arifmemetov, Remzi Bekirov, Ruslan 

Suleimanov, Rustem Sheikhaliev, Server Mustafayev, 

Seyran Saliev, Timur Ibragimov, and Vilen Temeryanov; 

Whereas media workers face heightened dangers in Russia, 

such as harassment, repression, censorship, and imprisonment, with 22 journalists imprisoned as of April 17, 

2023, of whom 10 were arrested after the beginning of 

the invasion of Ukraine, including— 

(1) Evan Gershkovich, a United States reporter with 

the Wall Street Journal, who was wrongfully detained on 

baseless espionage charges in March and faces up to 20 

years in jail; 

(2) Ivan Safronov, a correspondent with Russian 

business dailies Kommersant and Vedomosti, who was 


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sentenced to 22 years in jail on treason charges in September 2022; 

(3) Maria Ponomarenko, a correspondent with the 

RusNews independent news website, who was sentenced 

to 6 years in prison for spreading false information about 

the Russian military on February 15, 2023; 

(4) Sergey Mikhaylov, publisher of independent 

newspaper Listok, who was arrested for spreading false 

information about the Russian military in April 2022; 

(5) Mikhail Afanasyev, editor-in-chief of the online 

magazine Novy Fokus, who was arrested and charged 

with spreading false information about the Russian military in April 2022; 

(6) Novaya Gazeta, a landmark independent newspaper founded in 1993, which— 

(A) suspended operations in Russia in March 

2022 after receiving warnings from the authorities 

citing the country’s foreign agents law; and 

(B) was stripped of its print and online media 

licenses in September 2022; and 

(7) Meduza, a leading independent bilingual news 

website based outside of Russia, which— 

(A) was designated by Russian authorities in 

January 2023 as an ‘‘undesirable organization’’ 

under the 2015 Undesirable Organization Law; and 

(B) was banned from operating in the Russian 

Federation; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

the Government of the People’s Republic of China had 

detained at least 43 journalists, as of December 1, 2022, 

and has unleashed an onslaught of attacks on press freedom in China and Hong Kong, including through— 


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(1) state-sponsored censorship and disinformation 

campaigns limiting access to information about any dissent, including recent protests against then-imposed 

COVID–19 restrictions, and by censoring protest-related 

keywords on social media platforms; 

(2) attacks on press freedom in Hong Kong, including the passage of the National Security Law, which 

poses an existential threat to the city’s tradition of press 

freedom, and the arrest and subsequent conviction of 

Jimmy Lai, owner of Hong Kong’s largest media outlet, 

Apple Daily, and an outspoken democracy advocate; 

(3) arrests or other repressive actions against independent journalists and others in mainland China attempting to share uncensored news or opinion about current affairs, including Sophia Huang Xueqin, who has 

written about women’s rights and the protests in Hong 

Kong, and has been arbitrarily detained for more than 

500 days; 

(4) the detention of journalists critical of the Government of China, including Ruan Xiaohuan, who, after 

blogging about programming and politics, was sentenced 

to a 7-year term of imprisonment in early 2023, following 

21 months of incommunicado detention; and 

(5) the continued detention of Uyghur journalists, 

who account for nearly 50 percent of imprisoned journalists in China, including Ilham Tohti, founder of the news 

website Uighurbiz, who was detained in 2014 and is serving a life sentence; 

Whereas Afghanistan, under the control of the Taliban, remains one of the most repressive countries for journalists, with journalists in Afghanistan being subject to arrest, beatings, and arbitrary restrictions on their work, 

including journalists Mortaza Behboudi and Khairullah 


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Parhar, who have been detained by the Taliban since 

January 2023; 

Whereas Belarus has witnessed sweeping attacks against the 

press since Alexander Lukashenka’s fraudulent election 

in August 2020, with journalists and media workers harassed, assaulted, imprisoned, or otherwise retaliated 

against for their work, including— 

(1) Katsiaryna Andreyeva, a correspondent with Poland-based independent broadcaster Belsat TV, who, 

while serving a 2-year prison term for filming a live 

broadcast of the violent dispersal of a protest against 

Lukashenko in November 2020, was sentenced to 8 additional years in prison on treason charges in July 2022; 

(2) Ksenia Lutskina, a former correspondent for the 

state broadcaster Belteleradio, who was sentenced to 8 

years in prison on charges of conspiring to seize state 

power in September 2022, and who is not receiving appropriate medical care despite having a preexisting brain 

tumor that has grown during her detention; 

(3) Maryna Zolatava, chief editor of independent 

news website Tut.by, who was sentenced to 12 years in 

prison on charges of incitement to hatred and distributing materials calling for actions aimed at harming national security in March 2023; 

(4) Andrey Kuznechyk, a journalist who, while working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained 

in November 2021, and sentenced in June 2022 to 6 

years in prison on charges of forming an extremist group; 

and 

(5) Ihar Losik, another Radio Free Europe/Radio 

Liberty journalist who was arrested in June 2020, and 

sentenced in December 2021 to 15 years in jail on bogus 

charges of preparation of actions that violate public 


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order, who attempted suicide in March 2023, and whose 

wife Darya was sentenced in January 2023 to 2 years in 

prison on a charge of facilitating extremist activity; 

Whereas Reporters Without Borders asserts that due to oppression by the military junta, ‘‘press freedom in 

[Burma] has been set back ten years in ten days’’ after 

the February 1, 2021, military coup, including through— 

(1) media workers forced into hiding and confronting censorship, harassment, internet blocks, beatings, interrogations, threats, and injuries at the hands of 

the military; 

(2) multiple independent media outlets had forced to 

cease operations or close altogether or had their licenses 

revoked by the military; and 

(3) journalists being detained at alarming rates, 

with 75 journalists in prison as of April 17, 2023; 

Whereas Cuba remains a highly restricted environment for 

independent media, marked by internet restrictions and 

constant harassment of journalists and news outlets, including journalist La ́zaro Yuri Valle Roca who was sentenced to 5 years in prison for ‘‘enemy propaganda and 

resistance’’ in July 2022, a clear sign that the Cuban regime continues using the extreme measure of jailing journalists to maintain its regime of censorship; 

Whereas Egypt’s restrictions on the media have accelerated 

under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi since 2013, with at 

least 21 journalists imprisoned as of December 1, 2022, 

according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, including— 

(1) Alaa Abd El Fattah, a blogger sentenced to 5 

years in prison for ‘‘broadcasting false news’’ who embarked on a hunger strike on April 2, 2022, to protest 


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his mistreatment, which he escalated to a near-fatal 

‘‘water strike’’ that prompted a forced medical intervention by prison officials upon the start of the United Nations COP 27 climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt 

on November 6, 2022; 

(2) Hisham Abdel Aziz, an Al Jazeera journalist 

who is on the verge of losing his eyesight following untreated glaucoma while in prison; and 

(3) Mahmoud Abou Zeid, who was released after 5 

years in prison, but remains subject to a 5-year probation 

term that requires his continuous presence at a police 

station between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily; 

Whereas assaults on press freedom in El Salvador imperil its 

fragile democracy and include both verbal attacks on 

journalists by political leaders and the use of state power 

to intimidate independent media, such as— 

(1) the ongoing criminal investigation against outlet 

El Faro, which was launched after it reported damaging 

information about the government, and which led the 

media outlet to relocate most of its operations to Costa 

Rica following harassment by Salvadorian police; 

(2) the online attacks and threats to journalists 

from the outlet Revista Factum, which has been banned 

from press conferences at the presidential residence; and 

(3) the adoption of a new law that imposes prison 

sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years for certain reporting on criminal groups, such as gangs; 

Whereas, in India, government authorities frequently impose 

internet and communication blackouts in certain areas, 

and have recently detained and charged journalists covering political demonstrations, called for the temporary 

blockage of journalists and media accounts on Twitter, 


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and subjected journalists to searches and arrests, including— 

(1) the February 2023 raid on the British Broadcasting Company offices in Delhi and Mumbai, during 

which tax authorities seized employees’ laptops and mobile phones, following an Income Tax Department order 

the previous month, widely viewed as an attempt to censor the outlet following the release of a documentary on 

key political figures in India; and 

(2) the house arrest of Gautam Navlakha, a journalist and activist, who has been awaiting trial since 

April 2020 on charges of ‘‘instigating caste violence’’; 

Whereas Pakistan maintains high levels of media censorship 

and impunity persists in cases of killings and physical attacks on journalists who criticize the military and state 

institutions, including— 

(1) the arrest of journalists Imran Riaz Khan, in 

July 2022, under sedition charges for his criticism of the 

military; and 

(2) the assault of Ayaz Amir, an employee of Dunya 

News, on July 1, 2022, days after he had made comments criticizing former Prime Minister Imran Khan and 

the military; 

Whereas Iran was the leading jailer of journalists and the 

most prolific jailer of female journalists in 2022, subjecting media workers to aggressive intimidation, arbitrary summons, arrests, travel bans, conditional releases, 

torture, inhumane treatment, and unsubstantiated and 

unjust sentences, including— 

(1) Niloofar Hamedi, correspondent of the daily 

newspaper Shargh, who was imprisoned in 2022 for tryVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:36 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR191.IS SR191

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ing to document the death of Mahsa Amini on charges 

that could result in the death penalty; 

(2) Elahe Mohammadi, journalist for the daily Ham 

Mihan, who was also imprisoned in 2022 for the same action and on the same charges; 

(3) Yalda Moaiery, a prominent female photojournalist who— 

(A) while covering the nationwide protests in 

Tehran, was arrested by anti-riot police despite having press credentials; 

(B) was later charged with ‘‘spreading propaganda against the system’’ and ‘‘acting against national security’’; and 

(C) was sentenced to 6 years in prison; 

(4) freelance journalist Fariborz Kalantari, who was 

sentenced on February 7, 2021, to 7 years in prison and 

74 lashes for using his telegram channel to circulate articles about corruption charges brought against the ex-Vice 

President’s brother; 

(5) Mahmoud Mahmoudi, the editor of the weekly 

newspaper Agrin Rozh, who was arrested by agents of 

the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj after issuing an 

open letter calling for the release of detained Kurdish activists; 

(6) freelance photojournalist Nooshin Jafari, who 

was arrested in 2021, and sentenced to a 4-year prison 

term for ‘‘spreading anti-state propaganda’’ and ‘‘insulting sanctities’’; and 

(7) Iranian journalist Navid Seyed-Mohammadi, a 

Kurdish reporter for the state-run Islamic Republic 

Radio and Television broadcaster, who was arrested in 

May 2020 and is serving a 7-year prison sentence for 

‘‘espionage for hostile states’’; 


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Whereas Mexico continues to be one of the world’s deadliest 

countries for journalists, where 25 journalists are currently counted as missing, and reporters covering stories 

on political corruption and organized crime are frequently 

assaulted and murdered, including— 

(1) Gustavo Sa ́nchez Cabrera, a reporter who covered crime and politics and who was murdered in front 

of his son; 

(2) Ricardo Domı ́nguez Lo ́pez, the founder and editor of news website InfoGuaymas; 

(3) Lourdes Maldonado Lo ́pez, a broadcast journalist, and Margarito Martinez, a photojournalist, who 

were both killed in Tijuana in January 2022; 

(4) Juan Carlos Mun ̃iz, a reporter who covered 

crime for the news website Testigo Minero; and 

(5) Fredid Roma ́n, the founder of the newspaper La 

Realidad and a columnist for the newspaper Ve ́rtice 

Diario de Chilpancingo; 

Whereas Haiti is the second deadliest country in the Western 

Hemisphere for journalists, with 7 journalists killed during 2022, following a steady uptick of violence against 

the press over the last several years; 

Whereas the years-long persecution of journalists in Nicaragua continues, including news outlets being forced to 

close and individual journalists being threatened, harassed, sued, surveilled, jailed, and forced into exile, including— 

(1) Miguel Mendoza, who along with 6 other journalists and media workers, was among the group of 222 political prisoners released by Nicaraguan authorities in 

February 2023, sent to the United States, and subsequently stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship; and 


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(2) journalist Victor Ticay, who was arrested in 

April 2023, in connection to his April 5 reporting about 

a Catholic Easter celebration; 

Whereas Honduras remains one of the Western Hemisphere’s 

most dangerous countries for journalists, where those 

working for opposition media or who are outspoken critics of the government are subjected to harassment, intimidation, and death threats by the country’s security 

forces and its affiliates; 

Whereas criminal defamation lawsuits and legislation have 

been used in Peru to harass and silence investigative 

journalists who write about prominent political figures 

and the violent repression of protestors has also increased 

the risk to journalists covering ongoing social unrest in 

Peru; 

Whereas the Office of the Director of National Intelligence 

has concluded that the 2018 murder of Washington Post 

journalist and American resident Jamal Khashoggi in 

Istanbul was approved by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed 

bin Salman and impunity continues for the Saudi officials involved in this crime; 

Whereas the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia maintains an especially hostile environment towards journalists through 

systematic and arbitrary arrests, torture and inhumane 

or degrading treatment, lengthy pre-trial detentions, political persecution, and conditional release restrictions, 

which inhibit reporters and columnists from traveling or 

returning to their professional work post-detention, including— 

(1) Maha Al-Rafidi Al-Qahtani, a journalist and 

writer arrested in September 2019, held in solitary confinement and physically abused while in prison; 


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(2) Abdulrahman Farhana, a columnist detained in 

February 2019, charged with membership in a terrorist 

organization; 

(3) Zuhair Kutbi, a journalist jailed in January 

2019, who reportedly suffers from torture, 

malnourishment, and denial of cancer treatment in prison; and 

(4) blogger Raif Badawi, who recently completed a 

10-year prison sentence on blasphemy and apostasy 

charges, and who remains subjected to a further 10-year 

travel ban, which prevents him from reuniting with his 

family who received asylum in Canada; 

Whereas the battle for a free press continues to be fought in 

South Asia and Southeast Asia, where— 

(1) Bangladeshi journalists are subjected to arbitrary arrests and charges under the Digital Security Act, 

and suffer killings and physical attacks with near-total 

impunity 

(2) journalist, Nobel Prize laureate, and United 

States citizen Maria Ressa, despite rulings in her favor, 

continues to face lawfare for her reporting on President 

Duterte’s ‘‘war on drugs’’, among other topics; 

(3) Vietnamese journalists Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen 

Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan were each sentenced to more than 10 years in prison; and 

(4) Pham Doan Trang, a Vietnamese journalist and 

writer, following a year in detention, was sentenced to 9 

years in prison for ‘‘anti-state propaganda’’ in a judicial 

proceeding and imprisonment declared ‘‘arbitrary’’ by the 

United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; 

Whereas press freedom continues to face challenges in subSaharan Africa, including in— 


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(1) Ethiopia, where a crackdown on the press has 

included— 

(A) the arbitrary arrests of journalists, which 

was exacerbated during the civil war and has continued even after the signing of a peace agreement in 

November 2022; 

(B) internet disruptions deployed during times 

of political tension, including as recently as April 

2023, making it difficult and dangerous for the 

press to report the news; 

(C) the January 2023 suspension of 15 media 

outlets, including the BBC’s Somali service, and 

their representatives from operating in the Somali 

Regional State; and 

(D) the failure to provide a credible accounting 

for the 2021 killings of journalists Dawit Kebede 

Araya and Sisay Fida; 

(2) Nigeria, where journalists have been repeatedly 

detained and charged for their work, including— 

(A) Luke Binniyat, who was arrested in November 2021, released on bail in February 2022, 

and is facing 3 years in prison if convicted of sending false information under the Cybercrimes Act; 

(B) Agba Jalingo, publisher of the 

CrossRiverWatch news site, who was arrested on 

March 27, 2023, charged under the Cybercrimes Act 

for allegedly publishing false news, and released on 

bail on April 3, 2023; and 

(C) Haruna Mohammed Salisu, publisher of the 

WikkiTimes, who was arrested while covering the 

February 25, 2023, Federal elections, charged under 

the penal code with inciting the public to disturb the 


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Bauchi state governor, and released on bail on 

March 1, 2023; 

(3) Eritrea, which is one of the world’s most 

censored nations, and where at least 16 journalists, including editors Dawit Isaak and Amanuel Asrat, are detained, with most of these detentions commencing during 

a 2001 crackdown on the independent press, according to 

the Committee to Protect Journalists; 

(4) Cameroon, where— 

(A) 5 journalists were imprisoned as of December 2022; 

(B) at least 2 journalists have died in government custody under suspicious circumstances since 

2010; and 

(C) journalist Martinez Zogo was abducted, tortured, and killed in January 2023; 

(5) Rwanda, where— 

(A) at least 4 journalists were imprisoned as of 

December 1, 2022, according to the Committee to 

Protect Journalists; and 

(B) journalist John Williams Ntwali, who, after 

reporting on cases of torture, disappearances, and 

forced government evictions, was killed under suspicious circumstances; 

(6) Somalia, where recent violations include the 

months-long legal harassment of the freelance journalist 

and press freedom advocate Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, who 

was detained several times and convicted of disobeying 

government orders in connection to his objection to government plans to censor media coverage of security issues 

and was released on March 26, 2023, after more than 1 

month in prison; 


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(7) Burundi, where journalist Floriane Irangabiye is 

serving a 10-year prison sentence, following a January 

2023 conviction in connection to her critical commentary 

on governance issues in the country; 

(8) in Mali and Burkina Faso, where foreign journalists have been expelled and French media outlets have 

been banned; and 

(9) in Zimbabwe, where the country’s overly broad 

cybercrime legislation has been used to detain journalists 

and silence the press; 

Whereas, in Turkey, where the Erdogan government maintains one of the world’s most repressive environments for 

journalists and continues to imprison at least 40 journalists in retaliation for their professional work, including 

15 Kurdish journalists who were arrested in June 2022, 

but were never publicly charged; 

Whereas Hatice Duman, the longest imprisoned journalist in 

Turkey, who has been serving a life sentence on terrorism 

charges since April 9, 2003, told the Committee to Protect Journalists in November that she had little hope for 

freedom in her current retrial; 

Whereas, in Georgia, the free press is increasingly threatened, as evidenced by the conviction of former government minister and journalist Nika Gvaramia to a 42 

month prison sentence on May 16, 2022, on charges 

widely denounced as politically motivated, and attempts 

to pass laws modeled after the Russian Federation’s infamous ‘‘foreign agents’’ law, and insufficient prosecution 

of frequent physical attacks on members of the press; 

Whereas, in Tajikistan, where the government continues its 

systematic repression of the free press in 2022 by sentencing 6 journalists to lengthy prison terms on spurious 


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charges in secretive, closed-door trials held in detention 

centers amid allegations of torture and forced confessions, including— 

(1) Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva, a 66-year-old ethnic 

Pamiri journalist and human rights defender, who was 

sentenced to 20 years in prison; and 

(2) journalists Daler Imomali, Abdullo Ghurbati, 

Zavqibek Saidamini, and Abdusattor Pirmuhammadzoda, 

who were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging 

from 7 to 10 years on spurious charges of extremism; 

Whereas, in Kyrgyzstan, where the government has taken 

worrying steps to undermine the country’s relative press 

freedom since the start of 2022, including by— 

(1) blocking news websites under an arbitrary new 

‘‘false information’’ law, including that of Radio Free 

Europe/Radio Liberty; and 

(2) imposing spurious charges of illegal drug manufacture on investigative journalist Bolot Temirov and deporting him to the Russian Federation in retaliation for 

his reporting on corruption in the government’s procurement processes; 

Whereas the Government of Morocco has imposed severe 

crackdowns on freedom of expression and supporters of 

a free press and is currently detaining 13 journalists, including— 

(1) Taoufik Bouachrine, the publisher and editor-inchief of Akhbar al-Youm, who was arrested in February 

2018 on retaliatory charges related to his journalism and 

is serving a 15-year prison sentence; 

(2) Soulaimane Raissouni, a columnist and editor-inchief Akhbar al-Youm, who succeeded publisher Taoufik 

Bouachrine and was arrested on similar retaliatory 


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charges in May 2020, and is serving a 5-year prison sentence; 

(3) Ali Anouzla, a journalist and editor of the news 

website Lakome, who has been repeatedly arrested on retaliatory charges relating to his journalism including 

‘‘apologism for terrorism’’, ‘‘material aid for terrorism’’, 

and ‘‘incitement to terrorism’’; 

(4) Maati Monjib, a historian and advocate for free 

press, who was detained in December 2020 for 3 months 

on specious national security and fraud charges and remains subject to restrictive bail conditions; and 

(5) Omar Radi, a journalist who was arrested on 

suspicion of espionage in June 2020 shortly after Amnesty International reported that the Moroccan authorities hacked his phone and monitored his activities; 

Whereas, in 2022 and 2023, press freedom in Algeria continued to deteriorate at an alarming pace, with the newspaper Liberte ́ closing after 30 years in print following a 

decision by its owner, as a result of the interminable 

pressure exerted at the highest level in recent months 

against its editorial line, with the newspaper El Watan 

being subjected to strong pressures that led to a radical 

change in its editorial line, and before the recent adoption of an alarming media law, several journalists were 

summoned and prosecuted for their work, notably— 

(1) Nadir Kerri, who was placed under judicial supervision; 

(2) Belkacem Haouam, who was detained for 2 

months in response to an article he published in late 

2022; and 

(3) Ihsane El Kadi, who was prosecuted several 

times and remains in prison after he was ultimately sentenced to 3 years in prison in April 2023; 


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•SRES 191 IS 

Whereas the Maduro regime of Venezuela continues to target 

independent media outlets, restrict the exercise of freedom of expression, and severely limit Venezuelan access 

to accurate information; 

Whereas American journalists have been victimized while reporting abroad, including— 

(1) Christopher Allen, who was killed while covering 

the conflict in South Sudan on August 26, 2017, and 

whose killing has yet to be investigated by authorities 

after nearly 6 years; 

(2) Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in Syria and 

has been held in captivity since August 12, 2012; 

(3) Brent Renaud, who was killed by Russian forces 

while covering the war in Ukraine on March 13, 2022; 

and 

(4) Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia 

on charges of espionage on March 29, 2023; 

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, the Office of 

Cuba Broadcasting, and the Middle East Broadcasting 

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 press freedom— 

(1) is a key component of democratic governance, 

activism in civil society, and socioeconomic development; 

and 


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•SRES 191 IS 

(2) enhances public accountability, transparency, 

and participation in civil society and democratic governance: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) declares that a free press— 

3 (A) is a central component of free societies 

4 and democratic governance; 

5 (B) contributes to an informed civil society 

6 and government accountability; 

7 (C) helps to expose corruption; 

8 (D) enhances public accountability and 

9 transparency of governments at all levels; and 

10 (E) disseminates information that is essen11 tial to improving public health and safety; 

12 (2) expresses concerns about threats to the ex13 ercise of freedom of expression, including by the 

14 press, around the world; 

15 (3) recognizes and commends journalism’s role 

16 in providing trusted, accurate, and timely informa17 tion and in holding governments and leaders ac18 countable to citizens; 

19 (4) is dismayed that, under cover of the 

20 COVID–19 pandemic, many governments have re21 stricted the work of journalists reporting on the pub22 lic health crisis and on peaceful protests on a variety 

23 of issues; 


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•SRES 191 IS 

1 (5) pays tribute to journalists who made tre2 mendous sacrifices, including the loss of their lives, 

3 in the pursuit of truth and justice; 

4 (6) condemns all actions around the world that 

5 suppress press freedom; 

6 (7) calls for the unconditional and immediate 

7 release of all wrongfully detained journalists; 

8 (8) reaffirms the centrality of press freedom to 

9 efforts of the United States Government to support 

10 democracy, mitigate conflict, and promote good gov11 ernance domestically and around the world; and 

12 (9) calls upon the President and the Secretary 

13 of State— 

14 (A) to preserve and build upon the leader15 ship of the United States on issues relating to 

16 press freedom, on the basis of the protections 

17 for freedom of the press afforded the American 

18 people under the First Amendment to the Con19 stitution of the United States; 

20 (B) to transparently investigate and bring 

21 to justice the perpetrators of attacks against 

22 journalists; and 

23 (C) to promote the respect and protection 

24 of press freedom around the world. 

Æ 


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