Condemning the wrongful detainment of United States citizens and residents by the Russian Federation, and for other purposes.

Condemning the wrongful detainment of United States citizens and residents by the Russian Federation, and for other purposes. Whereas the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees the right to assemble, freedom from censorship, and the freedom of speech and thought to its citizens; Whereas, under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, the Government of the Russian Federation has failed to protect these ideals and has used the power of the state to diminish the rights of Russians and others within its borders and across the territories Russia unlawfully occupies; Whereas President Putins regime has used the power of the state to unlawfully detain individuals committed to fighting corruption within the Russian Federation; Whereas President Putins regime has unjustly targeted and detained individuals such as Sergei Magnitsky, who provided evidence that $230,000,000 had been stolen from the Russian treasury by senior Russian officials; Whereas Sergei Magnitsky died at the age of 37 after being denied critical medical care while being unjustly detained in inhuman conditions; Whereas President Putins regime also utilizes the power of the state to target political opponents and repress freedom of speech, thought, and expression; Whereas Alexey Navalny, a Russian opposition leader and vocal critic of President Putin, has been unjustly detained and subject to poisoning by the Kremlin; Whereas the Putin regime has also used its power to unjustly detain citizens of the United States; Whereas United States citizen Paul Whelan is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence after being wrongfully detained by the Russian Federation for espionage; Whereas, following Paul Whelans conviction on June 15, 2020, the Department of State released a statement demanding his immediate release, and this statement continues to be ignored by the Government of the Russian Federation; Whereas, on April 12, 2022, United States resident Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested for condemning Russias war in Ukraine and was charged with spreading deliberately false information Whereas, on April 17, 2023, Vladimir Kara-Murza was convicted of treason and sentenced to 25 years in prison; Whereas additional United States citizens continue to be detained in Russia for unjust cause, including American journalist Evan Gershkovich; Whereas wrongful detention, as defined in section 302 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act ( 22 U.S.C. 1741 Whereas, under section 302 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act ( 22 U.S.C. 1741 Whereas a referral to SPEHA, pursuant to Executive Order No. 14078 (relating to Bolstering Efforts To Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home), allows SPEHA to utilize additional tools not regularly available in order to deter and disrupt hostage-taking and wrongful detentions by imposing costs on terrorist organizations, criminal groups, and other malicious actors who take hostages for financial, political, or other gains and thus threaten the integrity of the international political system and the safety of United States nationals and other persons abroad; Whereas, on April 17, 2023, United States Ambassador to the Russian Federation Lynne Tracy stated, The right to have political opinions, or to disagree with the decisions of ones own government, are fundamental freedoms enshrined in both the Russian constitution and international treaties to which Russia is a party. Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation, under the leadership of President Putin, has clearly failed to uphold the values guaranteed in the Russian constitution and the international treaties the Russian Federation is party to; Whereas the actions of President Putins regime, including illegal detainments, military operations against sovereign nation states, and attacks on political opponents, constitute acts of international terrorism; Whereas, under chapter 113B international terrorism (1) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (2) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (3) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; Whereas, at a minimum, the Government of the Russian Federations treatment of detained Americans, Russian citizens, and others through inhuman prison conditions, including the lack of medical care, and the lack of due process constitutes a danger to human life which would be a criminal violation in the United States and is clearly intended to intimidate or coerce the free exercise of rights available to individuals in the Russian Federation; and Whereas United States law authorizes the designation of countries that have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism as state sponsors of terrorism: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate (1) calls on the United States Government to designate Vladimir Kara-Murza as wrongfully detained under United States law; (2) condemns the wrongful detainment of all United States citizens and residents by the Government of the Russian Federation and demands their immediate release from such detention; (3) stands with the people of Russia in their desire to exercise freedom of speech and expression, without retaliation by an oppressive regime; (4) demands that the Russian leadership be held accountable for their inhumane and unjust actions against their own citizens who want nothing less than to be represented by a fair and just government; and (5) calls on the United States Government to immediately designate the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism under United States law.

Summary: This resolution condemns Russia's wrongful detention of U.S. citizens and residents and demands their immediate release.&nbsp; The resolution also calls on the United States to designate Vladimir Kara-Murza as wrongfully detained under U.S. law;&nbsp; demands that Russian leadership be held accountable for their inhumane and unjust actions against their own citizens; and&nbsp; calls on the United States to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.