I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5408 
To oppose violations of religious freedom in Ukraine by Russia and armed 
groups commanded by Russia. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 12, 2019 
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. MEADOWS, 
Ms. MOORE, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. COHEN, 
Mr. HARRIS, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. LIPINSKI, and Ms. KAP-
TUR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To oppose violations of religious freedom in Ukraine by 
Russia and armed groups commanded by Russia. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ukraine Religious 
Freedom Support Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Russia invaded the Crimea region of 
Ukraine in February 2014, continues to occupy and 
control that region, and has exercised control over 
part of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine since 
April 2014 through non-state armed groups and ille-
gal entities it has established, instigated, com-
manded, and supported, including with military and 
intelligence personnel on the ground from Russia, 
such as the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Repub-
lic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. 
(2) International humanitarian law, including 
the Geneva Conventions, to which Russia is a signa-
tory, requires Russia to respect and protect the reli-
gious freedom of the inhabitants of the territory it 
occupies and controls, or controls through organized 
non-state armed groups it commands, and holds 
Russia responsible for violations of religious freedom 
in this territory. 
(3) According to the Department of State’s 
International Religious Freedom Reports, and other 
reporting, violations of religious freedom in the Cri-
mea region of Ukraine since Russia invaded and oc-
cupied the territory have included abduction, deten-
tion and imprisonment, torture, forced psychiatric 
hospitalizations, fines, restrictions on missionary ac-
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tivities, confiscations of property, including churches 
and meeting halls, expulsions and obstructions to re-
entry, denying registration of religious groups, van-
dalism, fines, and banning peaceful religious groups, 
and targeted groups have included Muslim Crimean 
Tatars, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, formerly 
the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patri-
archate, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, 
Protestant Christians, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. 
(4) According to the Department of State’s 
International Religious Freedom Reports, violations 
of religious freedom in the part of the Donbas region 
of Ukraine controlled by armed groups commanded 
by Russia have included detention and imprison-
ment, torture, confiscation of property, including 
churches and meeting halls, physical assaults and 
threats of violence, vandalism, fines, restrictions on 
missionary activities, religious services, ceremonies, 
gatherings, and literature, and banning of peaceful 
religious groups, and targeted groups have included 
the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, formerly the 
Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate, the 
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Protestant Chris-
tians, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. 
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(5) The International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998, as amended by the Frank R. Wolf Inter-
national Religious Freedom Act, requires the Presi-
dent to— 
(A) designate a foreign country as a coun-
try of particular concern for religious freedom 
when its government has engaged in or toler-
ated particularly severe violations of religious 
freedom in that country over the previous 12 
months; 
(B) to take 15 actions, or commensurate 
actions in substitution, following the designa-
tion of a country as a country of particular con-
cern for religious freedom; and 
(C) designate a foreign country on a ‘‘Spe-
cial Watch List’’ when its government has en-
gaged in or tolerated severe violations of reli-
gious freedom in that country over the previous 
12 months. 
(6) On November 28, 2018, the Secretary of 
State designated Russia on the ‘‘Special Watch 
List’’. 
(7) The National Security Strategy of the 
United States issued in 2017, 2015, 2006, 2002, 
2000, 1999, 1998, and 1997, committed the United 
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