IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 629 
Condemning violence by the Government of Syria against journalists, and 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on freedom of 
the press in Syria. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 19, 2012 
Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. PENCE, Mr. WOLF, and Mr. BERMAN) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning violence by the Government of Syria against 
journalists, and expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives on freedom of the press in Syria. 
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 
(2006) stresses the obligations of states under inter-
national norms to ensure the safety of journalists in war 
zones; 
Whereas, since the uprisings in Syria began in January 2011, 
the Government of Syria has denied entry to foreign jour-
nalists and arrested, abducted, beaten, tortured, and 
killed journalists, photographers, and bloggers to prevent 
the free flow of accurate information to the outside 
world; 
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•HRES 629 IH 
Whereas restrictions imposed by the Government of Syria on 
media have made it extraordinarily difficult to verify 
death tolls and the exact nature and course of events 
within the country; 
Whereas Syrian state media reports differ significantly from 
the few independent reports that make their way out of 
Syria; 
Whereas Reporters Without Borders, an international non-
governmental organization that advocates freedom of the 
press and freedom of information, has listed Bashar al- 
Assad as a Predator of Freedom of the Press; 
Whereas the League of Arab States called for the media to 
be allowed into Syria during its monitoring mission that 
was suspended indefinitely on January 28, 2012, due to 
the ‘‘critical deterioration of the situation’’ in Syria; 
Whereas freelance journalist Ferzat Jarban was tortured and 
killed on November 19 or 20, 2011, after filming protests 
in Al-Qassir, Syria; 
Whereas videographer Basil al-Sayed died on December 27, 
2011, from a gunshot wound he suffered 5 days earlier 
at a checkpoint in the Baba Amr neighborhood in the 
city of Homs, Syria; 
Whereas Shukri Abu al-Burghul of the state-owned daily Al 
Thawra and Radio Damascus died on January 3, 2012, 
in Damascus, Syria from a gunshot wound to the head 
he suffered four days earlier; 
Whereas Gilles Jacquier, a correspondent with France 2 tele-
vision, was killed in a grenade explosion on January 11, 
2012, while covering demonstrations in the city of Homs; 
Whereas freelance journalist Mazhar Tayyara, a videographer 
and photojournalist who contributed to Agence France- 
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•HRES 629 IH 
Presse and other international outlets, was killed by gov-
ernment forces’ fire in the city of Homs on February 4, 
2012; 
Whereas New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid 
died of an asthma attack on February 16, 2012, while 
attempting to leave Syria after reporting inside the coun-
try for a week, gathering information on the Free Syrian 
Army and other armed elements of the resistance to the 
government of President Bashar al-Assad; 
Whereas freelance journalist Rami al-Sayed, who filmed vid-
eos of Syrian security forces’ repressive acts, was killed 
on February 21, 2012, while covering the bombardment 
of the city of Homs by Government of Syria forces; 
Whereas journalist Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times, a 
United States citizen, and freelance photojournalist Remi 
Ochlik were killed on February 22, 2012, after their 
makeshift press center in Homs was struck by rockets 
fired by Government of Syria forces; 
Whereas, on February 22, 2012, Department of State 
Spokesman Mark Toner stated, ‘‘[T]oday, we’re also 
clearly deeply troubled and saddened by reports that 
American journalist Marie Colvin and French journalist 
Remi Ochlik were killed today in Homs as a result of the 
intense shelling, the ongoing intense shelling by the Syr-
ian regime. . . . We, of course, extend our deepest condo-
lences to their families and loved ones and just note that 
their sacrifice in chronicling the daily suffering of the 
people of Homs stands as a testament to journalism’s 
highest standards.’’; 
Whereas 13 opposition activists in Syria were killed during 
a weeklong attempt to rescue 4 foreign journalists, 2 of 
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•HRES 629 IH 
whom were injured, who were trapped in Homs as a re-
sult of the bombardment by the Government of Syria 
that killed Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik; 
Whereas videographer Anas al-Tarsha, who documented un-
rest in the besieged city of Homs, was killed by a mortar 
round while filming the bombardment of the city’s 
Qarabees district on February 24, 2012; 
Whereas, from 1992 through 2010, zero journalists were 
killed in Syria according to the Committee to Protect 
Journalists; and 
Whereas the Government of Syria has continued to arbi-
trarily arrest and detain prominent Syrian journalists 
and bloggers: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) calls on the Government of Syria to imme-
diately open the country up to independent and for-
eign journalists and immediately end its media 
blackout; 
(2) condemns in the strongest possible terms 
the Government of Syria’s abuse, intimidation, and 
violence towards journalists, videographers, and 
bloggers; 
(3) calls on the Government of Syria to imme-
diately release all journalists, videographers, and 
bloggers who have been detained, arrested, or im-
prisoned; 
(4) pays tribute to the journalists who have lost 
their lives while reporting on the conflict in Syria; 
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•HRES 629 IH 
(5) commends the bravery and courage of jour-
nalists who continue to operate in harm’s way; 
(6) supports the people of Syria seeking access 
to a free flow of accurate news and other forms of 
information; 
(7) recognizes the critical role that technology 
plays in helping independent journalists report the 
facts on the ground; 
(8) condemns all acts of censorship and other 
restrictions on freedom of the press, freedom of 
speech, and freedom of expression in Syria; 
(9) strongly condemns all nations that assist or 
enable the Government of Syria’s ongoing repression 
of the media; and 
(10) reaffirms the centrality of press freedom to 
efforts by the United States Government to support 
democracy and promote good governance around the 
world. 
Æ 
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