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[Page S5449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 308--CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE OR TO RELEASE UNITED STATES CITIZEN PAUL
WHELAN
Mr. PETERS (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 308
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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