106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 404
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas Mr. Edmond Pope of State College, Pennsylvania,
is a husband, father, grandfather, son, and United States
businessman;
Whereas Edmond Pope has visited the Russian Federation
27 times in order to foster better business and university-
based research relationships;
•HCON 404 EH
Whereas Edmond Pope traveled to the Russian Federation in
late March 2000 in order to purchase commercially ad-
vertised underwater propulsion technology, as stated in
his visa approved by the Government of the Russian Fed-
eration;
Whereas Edmond Pope was arrested on April 3, 2000, in
Moscow, imprisoned in Lefortovo, and charged with espi-
onage;
Whereas the Russian who allegedly committed an act of trea-
son by aiding Edmond Pope was released and has been
living with his family;
Whereas 
Edmond 
Pope 
has 
been 
treated 
for
hemangiopericytoma, a rare form of cancer, that was in
remission prior to his travel;
Whereas Edmond Pope’s father is dying of multiple myeloma,
a type of bone cancer that can be hereditary;
Whereas Edmond Pope should receive routine medical care
by a qualified, trained professional in order to monitor
the possibility of a recurrence of cancer due to his high-
risk potential;
Whereas Edmond Pope has missed his annual monitoring
visit resulting in a 14 month lapse since his last visit;
Whereas Edmond Pope’s prison conditions have caused a
dramatic loss in weight and his physical stature has dete-
riorated;
Whereas Edmond Pope has been denied the basic human
right of proper medical attention deserving of an indi-
vidual in his condition;
•HCON 404 EH
Whereas two Americans have died in the past few months
within prisons in the Russian Federation and another in-
dividual has recently died in Lefortovo;
Whereas Edmond Pope has been unjustly arrested and de-
tained for more than 5 months, preventing him from cele-
brating his 30th wedding anniversary and the marriage
of his son, and during which time his mother-in-law
passed away;
Whereas recent events have shown that trials in the Russian
Federation involving alleged violations in the area of na-
tional security can take several years;
Whereas it is unlikely that Edmond Pope would survive a
lengthy trial; and
Whereas United States business and academic interests with
the Russian Federation are beginning to be detrimentally
impacted by this event: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That—
(1) the Congress calls on the Russian Federa-
tion, under the leadership of President Vladimir
Putin, to immediately release Mr. Edmond Pope of
State College, Pennsylvania, and to ensure that
proper and qualified medical attention is provided to
him in order to ensure that another loss of life does
not occur in a prison in the Russian Federation;
(2) it is the sense of the Congress that if Ed-
mond Pope is not released immediately the Presi-
dent should continue all efforts afforded to the ad-
•HCON 404 EH
ministration to secure his release, including the con-
sideration of—
(A) terminating all assistance to the Gov-
ernment of the Russian Federation under the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the annual
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Re-
lated Programs Appropriations Act for purposes
of preparing the Russian Federation’s entrance
or accession to the World Trade Organization
(WTO); and
(B) opposing any further debt relief of ob-
ligations owed to the United States Government
from the Government of the Russian Federa-
tion; and
(3) the President should increase efforts to se-
cure appropriate medical attention for Edmond
Pope.
Passed the House of Representatives October 10,
2000.
Attest:
Clerk.