III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 152 

Recognizing threats to freedom of the press and expression around the world 

and reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority in efforts of the 

United States Government to promote democracy and good governance. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 28, 2015 

Mr. CASEY (for himself and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing threats to freedom of the press and expression 

around the world and reaffirming freedom of the press 

as a priority in efforts of the United States Government 

to promote democracy and good governance. 

Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in Paris, France, on December 10, 1948, states that ‘‘[e]veryone 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 May 3 of each year as ‘‘World Press Freedom 

Day’’ to celebrate the fundamental principles of freedom 


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•SRES 152 IS 

of the press, evaluate freedom of the press around the 

world, defend against attacks on the independence of the 

media, and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their 

lives in the exercise of their profession; 

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

Assembly adopted a resolution (United Nations General 

Assembly Resolution 163 (2013)) on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, that unequivocally condemns, in both conflict and nonconflict situations, all attacks on and violence against journalists and media workers, including torture, extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and intimidation and 

harassment; 

Whereas 2015 is the 22nd anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, which focuses on the theme ‘‘Let Journalism 

Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, and 

Media Safety in the Digital Age’’; 

Whereas the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 

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

passed by unanimous consent in the Senate and signed 

into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, expanded 

the annual Human Rights Reports of the Department of 

State to include the examination of freedom of the press; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, in 2014, 

freedom of the press suffered a ‘‘drastic decline’’ across 

all continents; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, in 2014, 

69 journalists and 19 citizen-journalists were killed in 

connection with the collection and dissemination of news 

and information; 


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Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

in 2014, the 3 deadliest countries for journalists on assignment were Syria, Ukraine, and Iraq; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

more than 40 percent of the journalists killed in 2014 

had been targeted for murder and 31 percent of journalists murdered had reported receiving threats; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

650 journalists were killed between 1992 and April 2015 

and the perpetrators have not been punished; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

the 5 countries with the highest number of unpunished 

journalist murders between 2004 and 2014 are Iraq, Somalia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Syria; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, in 2014, 

853 journalists and 122 citizen-journalists were arrested; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

as of December 1, 2014, 221 journalists worldwide were 

in prison; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, the 5 

countries with the highest number of journalists in prison 

as of December 8, 2014, were China, Eritrea, Iran, 

Egypt, and Syria; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, in 2014, 

the 5 countries with the highest number of journalists 

threatened or attacked were Ukraine, Venezuela, Turkey, 

Libya, and China; 

Whereas, according to the 2015 World Press Freedom Index 

of Reporters Without Borders, Eritrea, North Korea, 

Turkmenistan, Syria, and China were the countries 

ranked lowest with respect to ‘‘media pluralism and indeVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Apr 28, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR152.IS SR152

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pendence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural 

environment in which the media operate’’; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

in 2014, Syria was the world’s deadliest country for journalists for the third year in a row; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, the Government of the Russian Federation continued to pressure 

the media to control independent news outlets to an extent that may lead to the termination of the outlets; 

Whereas Freedom House has cited a deteriorating environment for Internet freedom around the world and in 2014 

ranked Iran, Syria, China, Cuba, and Ethiopia as the 

countries having the worst obstacles to access, limits on 

content, and violations of user rights among countries 

and territories rated by Freedom House as ‘‘Not Free’’; 

Whereas freedom of the press is a key component of democratic governance, activism in civil society, and socioeconomic development; and 

Whereas freedom of the press enhances public accountability, 

transparency, and participation: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses concern about the threats to free3 dom of the press and expression around the world 

4 following World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 

5 2015; 

6 (2) commends journalists and media workers 

7 around the world for their essential role in pro8 moting government accountability, defending demoVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Apr 28, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR152.IS SR152

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1 cratic activity, and strengthening civil society, de2 spite threats to their safety; 

3 (3) pays tribute to journalists who have lost 

4 their lives carrying out their work; 

5 (4) calls on governments abroad to implement 

6 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 163 

7 (2013); 

8 (5) condemns all actions around the world that 

9 suppress freedom of the press, including: brutal 

10 murders of journalists by the terrorist group Islamic 

11 State in Syria, violent attacks against media outlets 

12 such as the French satirical magazine Charlie 

13 Hebdo, and the kidnappings of journalists and 

14 media workers by pro-Russian militant groups in 

15 eastern Ukraine; 

16 (6) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the 

17 press to efforts of the United States Government to 

18 support democracy, mitigate conflict, and promote 

19 good governance domestically and around the world; 

20 and 

21 (7) calls on the President and the Secretary of 

22 State— 

23 (A) to improve the means by which the 

24 United States Government rapidly identifies, 


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1 publicizes, and responds to threats against free2 dom of the press around the world; 

3 (B) to urge foreign governments to con4 duct transparent investigations and adjudica5 tions of the perpetrators of attacks against 

6 journalists; and 

7 (C) to highlight the issue of threats 

8 against freedom of the press year round. 

Æ 


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