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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 372 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 372

Recognizing the importance of the United States-Egypt relationship, and 
  urging the Government of Egypt to protect civil liberties and cease 
  intimidation and prosecution of civil society workers and democracy 
                   activists, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2012

    Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Durbin) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Egypt relationship, and 
  urging the Government of Egypt to protect civil liberties and cease 
  intimidation and prosecution of civil society workers and democracy 
                   activists, and for other purposes.

Whereas the Governments and people of the United States and Egypt enjoy a long 
        history of a strong strategic partnership;
Whereas the United States Government seeks to maintain robust bilateral 
        relations with the Government and people of Egypt so that they may 
        continue to work together toward our shared goals of peace, security, 
        and economic prosperity in Egypt and the region;
Whereas, on February 11, 2011, peaceful mass protests succeeded in bringing an 
        end to the authoritarian rule of Hosni Mubarak;
Whereas the United States Government and the international community stood by 
        the people of Egypt as they began to undertake their transition to a 
        democracy;
Whereas there have been numerous clashes between security personnel and 
        protesters, including Egyptians who were calling for a swifter 
        transition to civilian-led rule;
Whereas, on November 28 and 29, 2011, the first of three rounds of parliamentary 
        elections began in Egypt, which have been deemed largely free and fair 
        by civil society observers and monitors;
Whereas United States-based organizations such as the National Democratic 
        Institute, the International Republican Institute, Freedom House, and 
        the International Center for Journalists were in Egypt to support and 
        promote democratic activity, including elections, adherence to the rule 
        of law, and the existence of a free press;
Whereas certain of those organizations had been operating openly in Egypt for 
        many years, had long sought formal registration and had never received 
        rejections of their applications, had exhibited an unprecedented level 
        of transparency, and had only recently become the targets of malicious 
        reporting by state-run media in Egypt;
Whereas, on December 29, 2011, the Government of Egypt raided the offices of the 
        National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, 
        Freedom House, the International Center for Journalists, and several 
        other Egyptian and international civil society organizations in Egypt, 
        confiscating their property and equipment;
Whereas the Government of Egypt announced that it would launch investigations 
        into hundreds of civil society organizations, has targeted and 
        interrogated staff of these organizations, and has imposed restrictions 
        on the movement of United States citizens who are staff members of these 
        organizations, including placing them on a ``no-fly'' list to prohibit 
        departure from the country;
Whereas, on February 5, 2012, the Government of Egypt announced that it would 
        refer for arrest more than 40 staff members of various nongovernmental 
        organizations, among them 16 United States citizens, including staff of 
        the United States-based National Democratic Institute, the International 
        Republican Institute, Freedom House, the International Center for 
        Journalists, and Germany-based Konrad Adenauer Stiftung;
Whereas in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74), 
        Congress conditioned economic and military assistance to Egypt on the 
        Secretary of State's certification that Egypt is meeting its obligations 
        under the 1979 Peace Treaty with Israel and that it is supporting the 
        transition to a civilian government, including by holding free and fair 
        elections and protecting freedoms of expression, association, and 
        religion and due process of law;
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that the United States 
        Government has ``deep concerns about what is happening to our NGOs, and 
        Americans and others who work for them. . . We do not believe there is 
        any basis for these investigations, these raids on the sites that the 
        NGOs operate out of, the seizure of their equipment, and certainly no 
        basis for prohibiting the exit from the country by individuals who have 
        been working with our NGOs.'';
Whereas restricting the space for civil society engagement dishonors the promise 
        of the Egyptian revolution and could potentially damage the country's 
        transition to democracy; and
Whereas, according to Secretary of State Clinton, ``We have worked very hard the 
        last year to put into place financial assistance and other support for 
        the economic and political reforms that are occurring in Egypt, and we 
        will have to closely review these matters as it comes time for us to 
        certify whether or not any of these funds from our government can be 
        made available under these circumstances.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) acknowledges the central and historic importance of the 
        United States-Egyptian strategic partnership in advancing the 
        common interests of both countries, including peace and 
        security in the broader Middle East and North Africa;
            (2) reiterates its support for the people of Egypt during a 
        difficult political transition towards a more representative 
        and responsive democratic government;
            (3) praises the work that United States democracy promotion 
        organizations such as the National Democratic Institute, the 
        International Republican Institute, Freedom House, and the 
        International Center for Journalists, do internationally to 
        strengthen civic institutions, democratic practice, political 
        parties, the rule of law, respect for human rights, and 
        protections for independent media;
            (4) reaffirms the commitment of the Government and people 
        of the United States to universal rights of freedom of 
        expression, religion, assembly, and association, including 
        Internet freedom;
            (5) notes the critical role civil society plays in 
        democratic societies and applauds the work of democracy 
        promotion, human rights, and developmental organizations in 
        Egypt;
            (6) expresses deep concern at the intimidation and media 
        manipulation against democracy activists and Egyptian and 
        international civil society organizations in Egypt;
            (7) urges the Government of Egypt to protect civil 
        liberties for all citizens, embrace transparency and 
        accountability, and promote the creation of a vibrant civil 
        society;
            (8) calls upon the Government of Egypt to immediately cease 
        its intimidation and prosecution of civil society workers and 
        democracy activists of all nationalities in Egypt, including 
        Egyptians, and to allow non-Egyptian civil society workers to 
        voluntarily leave the country; and
            (9) calls on the Government of Egypt to halt harassment, 
        including that conducted via state media, of democracy and 
        human rights activists in Egypt.
                                 <all>
```