Title: Expressing support for the recognition of October 30, 2022, as the International Day of Political Prisoners.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution supports recognizing the International Day of Political Prisoners and continuing efforts to raise awareness and secure the release of political prisoners.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1450 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1450

  Expressing support for the recognition of October 30, 2022, as the 
               International Day of Political Prisoners.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 28, 2022

Mr. Cohen (for himself and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing support for the recognition of October 30, 2022, as the 
               International Day of Political Prisoners.

Whereas the number of political prisoners across the world, including cases of 
        journalists, academics, peace and political activists, political 
        oppositionists and dissidents, and human rights defenders being 
        detained, arrested, convicted, and otherwise punished for political 
        motives without connection to any credible offence has steadily 
        increased;
Whereas the United States Government estimates that there are more than 1 
        million political prisoners worldwide;
Whereas authoritarian and repressive regimes around the world have engaged in 
        systematic destruction of independent voices, including but not limited 
        to the Russian and Belarusian Governments;
Whereas national governments and legislative bodies have an obligation to raise 
        awareness about the plight of political prisoners;
Whereas national governments and legislative bodies should advocate with states 
        holding political prisoners their prompt release;
Whereas, on October 30, 1974, Soviet human rights activists and dissidents 
        initiated the idea of marking the day of political prisoners in the USSR 
        and consequently held a hunger strike that day while in jail;
Whereas, in 1978, the Moscow Helsinki Group--founded in 1976, disbanded in 1982 
        due to KGB intimidation, and reestablished by former USSR political 
        prisoners and human rights activists in 1989--declared October 30 
        Political Prisoner Day; and
Whereas October 30, 1991, marked the first annual Remembrance Day for the 
        Victims of Political Repression observed in Russia: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) deplores all forms of political repression and 
        imprisonment;
            (2) supports statements by the United States Government 
        condemning political imprisonment and the continuance of the 
        Department of State's efforts to raise international awareness 
        of political prisoners and secure their release; and
            (3) expresses support for the recognition of the 
        International Day of Political Prisoners.
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