Title: Condemning the Government of Russia's attempted assassination of Mr. Navalny and criminal acts to intimidate and silence Russian freedom defenders.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution condemns the Russian government's criminal acts to intimidate and silence human rights and anti-corruption activists, including the attempted assassination of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The resolution also condemns the Russian government's ongoing chemical weapons program, which violates international law and norms.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 340 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 340

 Condemning the Government of Russia's attempted assassination of Mr. 
  Navalny and criminal acts to intimidate and silence Russian freedom 
                               defenders.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 21, 2021

 Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Meeks, Mr. McCaul, Mr. 
   Keating, Mr. Pfluger, Mr. Quigley, and Mr. Meijer) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Ways 
and Means, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Oversight and Reform, 
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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the Government of Russia's attempted assassination of Mr. 
  Navalny and criminal acts to intimidate and silence Russian freedom 
                               defenders.

Whereas Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader and anticorruption activist, 
        has effectively used social media and modern digital channels to connect 
        with Russian citizens, counter Kremlin propaganda, and organize mass 
        prodemocracy protests;
Whereas Mr. Navalny has been illegally detained and imprisoned on numerous 
        occasions for political reasons, including partaking in peaceful and 
        constitutionally protected protests in Russia;
Whereas the investigative work of Mr. Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation has 
        uncovered corruption at the highest levels of the Government of Russia, 
        including activities orchestrated by Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, 
        and the oligarchs closely associated to him;
Whereas Russia is a signatory of the Helsinki Final Act obliging the Government 
        of Russia to respect and protect human rights, including freedom of 
        thought, conscience, or belief;
Whereas the Government of Russia has a deeply disturbing history of employing 
        extrajudicial assassinations and other forms of violence to cover up its 
        crimes and silence independent political leaders, anticorruption 
        investigators, and prodemocracy activists, including Boris Nemtsov, 
        Vladimir Kara-Murza, Alexander Litvinenko, and Sergei Magnitsky who died 
        tragically in a Russian prison;
Whereas, on August 20, 2020, Mr. Navalny was poisoned by the Russian security 
        forces with a Novichok nerve agent, putting him in grave condition which 
        required him to be placed into a medically induced coma;
Whereas Mr. Navalny was evacuated to Berlin, Germany, where he eventually 
        recovered;
Whereas, on January 17, 2021, Mr. Navalny bravely returned to Russia to continue 
        the fight for democracy despite outstanding arrest warrants against him;
Whereas upon his arrival at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, Mr. Navalny was 
        immediately detained by Russian officials on false charges, and after a 
        sham trial on February 2, 2021, was convicted to 2.5 years imprisonment;
Whereas the United States has imposed sanctions on Russia under the Chemical and 
        Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 for the 
        second time in response to the Russian Government's poisoning of Mr. 
        Navalny;
Whereas Mr. Navalny was transferred to Penal Colony 2 (IK-2), where he 
        complained of torture, sleep deprivation, denial of medical care, and 
        other gross human rights abuses;
Whereas Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has played a critical role in ensuring 
        Russian and global audiences hear the truth of the Government of 
        Russia's gross human rights abuses towards Mr. Navalny and other Russian 
        political prisoners;
Whereas Mr. Navalny's health has rapidly deteriorated in prison, and on March 
        31, 2021, he started a hunger strike to protest the lack of medical 
        access and the grim prison conditions;
Whereas reports indicate that Mr. Navalny is experiencing renal failure and 
        heart problems, and in a moribund state;
Whereas European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell 
        said, ``we make the Russian authorities responsible for the health of 
        Mr. Navalny,'' and many leading Members of the European Parliament and 
        other European and officials of the United States have also condemned 
        Russian authorities' cruel treatment of Mr. Navalny; and
Whereas Mr. Navalny's life is in grave and immediate danger: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns the Government of Russia's attempted 
        assassination of Mr. Navalny and criminal acts to intimidate 
        and silence Russian human rights, democracy, and anticorruption 
        activists;
            (2) condemns the Government of Russia's ongoing chemical 
        weapons program in contravention of international law and 
        norms, particularly the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which 
        Russia is a party;
            (3) demands the immediate release of and the provision of 
        robust medical care to Mr. Navalny;
            (4) reaffirms congressional support for the Administration 
        to robustly implement the second round of sanctions on the 
        Government of Russia under the Chemical and Biological Weapons 
        Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 if it does not 
        dismantle its chemical weapons and biological weapons within 90 
        days of the date of the adoption of this resolution;
            (5) condemns the Government of Russia's efforts to stifle 
        the freedom of the press, including through attempts to expel 
        Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and urges the Department of 
        State to place higher priority on efforts to protect Radio Free 
        Europe/Radio Liberty's physical presence in Moscow;
            (6) expresses deep concern with the near completion of the 
        Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a tool of Russian malign influence 
        which would endanger Ukraine and transatlantic security, and 
        calls for the immediate halt of its construction; and
            (7) urges the President of the United States to raise 
        Alexei Navalny's wrongful imprisonment and rapidly 
        deteriorating health in all high-level engagements with the 
        Government of Russia as well as take all appropriate actions to 
        achieve the release of Mr. Navalny, including through 
        additional sanctions of Kremlin officials and Kremlin-directed 
        oligarchs in coordination with our transatlantic allies and 
        partners.
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