Title: A resolution calling on the Government of the Russian Federation to provide evidence or to release United States citizen Paul Whelan.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution urges Russia to present credible evidence of wrongdoing against U.S. citizen Paul Whelan or immediately release him. It also urges Russia to provide unrestricted consular access to Whelan and to ensure that he is afforded due process and universally recognized human rights.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 308 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 308

Calling on the Government of the Russian Federation to provide evidence 
            or to release United States citizen Paul Whelan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 11, 2019

   Mr. Peters (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Calling on the Government of the Russian Federation to provide evidence 
            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 veteran;
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;
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-appointed 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 
        concrete 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 unjustly held abroad: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to 
        present credible evidence on the allegations against Paul 
        Whelan or immediately release him from detention;
            (2) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to 
        provide unrestricted consular access to Paul Whelan while he 
        remains in detention;
            (3) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to 
        ensure Paul Whelan is afforded due process 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 Government of the Russian 
        Federation 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.
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