IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 552 
Calling on the Government of the Russian Federation to provide evidence 
of wrongdoing or to release United States citizen Paul Whelan. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 
Ms. STEVENS (for herself, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. KIL-
DEE, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. KEATING, Mr. HUIZENGA, Mr. UPTON, Mr. 
MOOLENAAR, Mr. KING of New York, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Ms. SLOTKIN, 
and Mr. BERGMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Calling on the Government of the Russian Federation to 
provide evidence of wrongdoing or to release United 
States citizen Paul Whelan. 
Whereas United States citizen Paul Whelan is a resident of 
Novi, Michigan, and a United States Marine Corps vet-
eran; 
Whereas Paul Whelan traveled to Moscow for the wedding of 
a personal friend on December 22, 2018; 
Whereas Russia’s Federal Security Service arrested Paul 
Whelan at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow on December 
28, 2018, and charged him with espionage; 
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•HRES 552 IH 
Whereas Paul Whelan was imprisoned in Lefortovo Prison 
and continues to be held there more than eight months 
after his arrest; 
Whereas the Federal Security Service has not provided any 
evidence of supposed wrongdoing; 
Whereas a Moscow court has extended Paul Whelan’s pre- 
trial detention multiple times without publicly presenting 
justification or evidence of wrongdoing; 
Whereas officials from the United States Embassy in Moscow 
have routinely had their topics of discussion with Paul 
Whelan severely limited by the Federal Security Service; 
Whereas even Paul Whelan’s Federal Security Service-ap-
pointed lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said on May 24, 
2019, ‘‘[The Federal Security Service] always roll[s] out 
what they have, but in this case, we’ve seen nothing con-
crete against Whelan in five months. That means there 
is nothing.’’; 
Whereas the United States Ambassador to Russia, Jon 
Huntsman, responded on April 12, 2019, to a question 
about the detention of Paul Whelan, ‘‘If the Russians 
have evidence, they should bring it forward. We have seen 
nothing. If there was a case, I think the evidence would 
have been brought forward by now.’’; and 
Whereas Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Russian 
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on May 14, 2019, and 
urged him to ensure United States citizens are not un-
justly held abroad: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) urges the Government of the Russian Fed-
eration to present credible evidence on the allega-
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•HRES 552 IH 
tions against Paul Whelan or immediately release 
him from detention; 
(2) urges the Government of the Russian Fed-
eration to provide unrestricted consular access to 
Paul Whelan while he remains in detention; 
(3) urges the Government of the Russian Fed-
eration to ensure Paul Whelan is afforded due proc-
ess and universally recognized human rights; 
(4) encourages the President and the Secretary 
of State to continue to press the Government of the 
Russian Federation at every opportunity and urge 
the Russian Government to guarantee a fair and 
transparent judicial process without undue delay in 
accordance with its international legal obligation; 
and 
(5) expresses sympathy to the family of Paul 
Whelan and expresses hope that their ordeal can 
soon be brought to an end. 
Æ 
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