Condemning the Nicaraguan Government's unjust imprisonment of individuals affiliated with Mountain Gateway Ministry.

Bill: 118-hres-1019
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-2]
Introduced: 2024-02-16
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-02-16
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-02-16
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution condemns the targeting and imprisonment of individuals associated with Mountain Gateway Ministry and calls upon the Nicaraguan government to take prompt action. Mountain Gateway Ministry is a U.S.-based religious organization active in Nicaragua. Individuals affiliated with the group were arrested in Nicaragua in December, 2023. </p>

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1019 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 16, 2024 Mr. Moore of Alabama (for himself, Mr. Aderholt , Ms. Sewell , Mr. Roy , Mr. Carl , and Mr. Palmer ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Condemning the Nicaraguan Government’s unjust imprisonment of individuals affiliated with Mountain Gateway Ministry.

Whereas, in December 2023, eleven individuals affiliated with Mountain Gateway Ministry, Marcos Sergio Hernández Jirón; Harry Lening Rios Bravo; Manuel de Jesús Ríos Flores; José Luis Orozco Urrutia; Álvaro Daniel Escobar Caldera; Juan Carlos Chavarría Zapata; Juan Luis Moncada; Orvin Alexis Moncada Castellano, César Facundo Burgalin Miranda, Walner Omier Blandón Ochoa, and Maricela de Fátima Mejía Ruiz were arrested by the Government of Nicaragua; Whereas there is concern the Nicaraguan Government has charged each of the listed individuals for crimes on baseless claims of money laundering and organized crime; Whereas the accused do not have adequate access to legal counsel; Whereas there is concern that United States citizens affiliated with Mountain Gateway Ministry are being targeted for arrest and extradition by the Nicaraguan Government; Whereas this follows a pattern by the Nicaraguan Government to quell the free speech and religious rights of Christians and other non-governmental organizations in Nicaragua; Whereas, on November 30, 2022, in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the Secretary of State designated Nicaragua a Country of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom; Whereas the Nicaraguan Government’s actions are yet another example of an extreme intolerance of religious organizations; and Whereas Congress has a vested interest in upholding international religious freedom and human rights: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) condemns the targeting and imprisonment of individuals affiliated with Mountain Gateway Ministry without due process of law; and (2) calls on the Nicaraguan Government to take prompt action to address these violations of religious freedom and international human rights.