III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 207 

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 

JUNE 22, 2015 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, and Mr. WYDEN) 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 at Paris December 10, 

1948, states that ‘‘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 May 3 of each year as ‘‘World Press Freedom 

Day’’ to celebrate the fundamental principles of freedom 


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of the press, to evaluate freedom of the press around the 

world, to defend the media from attacks on its independence, and to 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 (A/RES/68/163) on the 

safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, which unequivocally condemns all attacks and violence against 

journalists and media workers, including torture, 

extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary 

detention, and intimidation and harassment in both conflict and non-conflict situations; 

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 2015 World Press Freedom prize was awarded 

to Syrian journalist and human rights activist Mazen 

Darwish, who remains imprisoned by the Assad regime; 

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 freedom of the press around the world 

in the annual human rights report of the Department of 

State; 

Whereas, according to Freedom House, only approximately 

14 percent of the world’s inhabitants—or one in seven 

people—live in countries with a press ranked as ‘‘Free’’ 

by Freedom House; 


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Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, 69 journalists and 19 citizen journalists were killed in 2014 in 

connection with their collection and dissemination of 

news and information; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

the 3 deadliest countries for journalists on assignment in 

2014 were Syria, Ukraine, and Iraq; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

more than 40 percent of the journalists killed in 2014 

were targeted for murder and 31 percent of journalists 

murdered reported receiving threats first; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

650 journalists have been killed between 1992 and April 

2015 without the perpetrators of such crimes facing punishment; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

the 5 countries with the highest number of journalist 

murders that go unpunished, measured from 2004 to 

2014, are Iraq, Somalia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and 

Syria; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, 853 journalists and 122 citizen journalists were arrested in 2014; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 

221 journalists worldwide were in prison as of December 

1, 2014; 

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’ 2015 

World Press Freedom Index, Eritrea, North Korea, 


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Turkmenistan, Syria, and China ranked lowest according 

to a range of criteria that include ‘‘media pluralism and 

independence, 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 the International Federation of Journalists, more than 40 journalists and media staff have 

been killed since January 2015; 

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

its pressure on the media to bring independent news outlets under control or be throttled out of existence; 

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

Iran, Syria, China, Cuba, and Ethiopia as ‘‘Not Free’’ 

and having the worst obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights among the 65 countries 

and territories rated by Freedom House in 2014; 

Whereas freedom of the press is absolutely essential to the 

creation and maintenance of free and open societies and 

a key component of democratic governance, the activism 

of 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) commemorates World Press Freedom Day 

3 by commending journalists like Mazen Darwish and 


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1 others around the world for the vital role they play 

2 in supporting open and democratic societies, pro3 moting government accountability, and strength4 ening civil society; 

5 (2) expresses concern about the threats to free6 dom of the press and expression around the world, 

7 and pays tribute to journalists who have lost their 

8 lives carrying out their work; 

9 (3) pays tribute to the journalists who have lost 

10 their lives carrying out their work; 

11 (4) calls on governments abroad to implement 

12 United Nations General Assembly Resolution (A/ 

13 RES/68/163), by thoroughly investigating and seek14 ing to resolve outstanding cases of violence against 

15 journalists, including murders and kidnappings, 

16 while ensuring the protection of witnesses; 

17 (5) condemns all actions around the world that 

18 suppress freedom of the press, including: the brutal 

19 murders of journalists by the terrorist group ISIS, 

20 violent attacks against media outlets like the French 

21 satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and kidnappings 

22 of journalists and media workers in eastern Ukraine 

23 by pro-Russian militant groups; 

24 (6) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the 

25 press to efforts by the United States Government to 


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1 support democracy, mitigate conflict, and promote 

2 good governance domestically and around the world; 

3 and 

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

5 State— 

6 (A) to improve the means by which the 

7 United States Government rapidly identifies, 

8 publicizes, and responds to threats against free9 dom of the press around the world; 

10 (B) to urge foreign governments to trans11 parently investigate and bring to justice the 

12 perpetrators of attacks against journalists; and 

13 (C) to highlight the issue of threats 

14 against freedom of the press year-round. 

Æ 


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