Markup: Expressing the Sense of the Congress that the Russian Federation Should Fully Protect the Freedoms of All Religious Communities Without Distinction, Whether Registered and Unregistered, As Stipulated By the Russian Constitution and International Standards

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24–594PDF
2005
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS THAT THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION SHOULD FULLY PROTECT THE FREEDOMS OF
ALL RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES WITHOUT DISTINCTION,
WHETHER REGISTERED AND UNREGISTERED, AS STIPULATED
BY THE RUSSIAN CONSTITUTION AND INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

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ON
H. Con. Res. 190

NOVEMBER 15, 2005

Serial No. 109–89

Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman

JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey,
Vice Chairman
DAN BURTON, Indiana
ELTON GALLEGLY, California
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida
DANA ROHRABACHER, California
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California
PETER T. KING, New York
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio

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THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado
RON PAUL, Texas
DARRELL ISSA, California
JEFF FLAKE, Arizona
JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia
MARK GREEN, Wisconsin
JERRY WELLER, Illinois
MIKE PENCE, Indiana
THADDEUS G. McCOTTER, Michigan
KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida
JOE WILSON, South Carolina
JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina
CONNIE MACK, Florida
JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska
MICHAEL McCAUL, Texas
TED POE, Texas

TOM LANTOS, California
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio

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BRAD SHERMAN, California
ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts
GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
BARBARA LEE, California
JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York
EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon
SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada
GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California
ADAM B. SCHIFF, California
DIANE E. WATSON, California
ADAM SMITH, Washington
BETTY McCOLLUM, Minnesota
BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky
DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California

THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel
ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman
THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado
JEFF FLAKE, Arizona
MARK GREEN, Wisconsin

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JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California,
Vice Chairman

DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
BARBARA LEE, California
BETTY McCOLLUM, Minnesota
BRAD SHERMAN, California
GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
DIANE E. WATSON, California

MARY M. NOONAN, Subcommittee Staff Director
GREG SIMPKINS, Subcommittee Professional Staff Member
NOELLE LUSANE, Democratic Professional Staff Member
SHERI A. RICKERT, Subcommittee Professional Staff Member and Counsel
LINDSEY M. PLUMLEY, Staff Associate

C O N T E N T S

MARKUP OF:

H. Con. Res. 190, Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities without distinction, whether registered and unregistered, as stipulated by the Russian Constitution and international standards

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EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS THAT THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION SHOULD FULLY PROTECT THE FREEDOMS OF ALL RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES WITHOUT DISTINCTION, WHETHER REGISTERED AND UNREGISTERED, AS STIPULATED BY THE RUSSIAN CONSTITUTION AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2005

House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights
and International Operations,
Committee on International Relations,
Washington, DC.

    The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:25 p.m. in room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Christopher H. Smith (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.

    Mr. SMITH. We will now convene a very brief business meeting of the Subcommittee to mark up a resolution. The Subcommittee will come to order.

    Pursuant to notice, I call up the bill, H. Con. Res. 190, ''Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities without distinction, whether registered and unregistered, as stipulated by the Russian Constitution and international standards,'' for purpose of markup, and to move its recommendation to the Full Committee.

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    Without objection, the resolution will be considered as read and open to amendment at any point.

    [H. Con. Res. 190 follows:]

[Note: Image(s) not available in this format. See PDF file]

    Mr. SMITH. I recognize myself to make a brief statement to explain the resolution.

    Today we mark up H. Con. Res. 190, ''Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities without distinction, whether registered and unregistered, as stipulated by the Russian Constitution and international standards.''

    In April of this year, as Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I convened a hearing to highlight the plight of unregistered religious groups in Russia. That hearing, I have to point out, was a direct response to concerns raised by one of our previous witnesses, Larry Uzzell.

    At the hearing, we heard moving testimony about arson attacks and police raids occurring sporadically, yet consistently, across the vast Russian Federation. I know I will never forget the pictures I saw of the arson attack against a Baptist Church in Tula. After receiving numerous anonymous threats, late one night, hate-mongers finally took action and razed the church to the ground. The local authorities have been no help, attributing the explosion to a natural gas leak, although the local gas company reportedly found no gas residue at the site.

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    The actions or, at times, the inactions of local authorities send a clear message that unregistered communities are not welcome. While religious freedoms are generally respected at the Federal level, minority religious communities continue to report serious problems.

    Since the hearing, the Emanuel Presbyterian Church in Russia's North Caucasus faces the confiscation of its church because of filing errors when it attempted to register. Independent Muslim groups continue to face government pressure, discrimination, and even jail.

    Further indicative of the challenges being faced by religious communities in this Putin era, in October, Moscow's Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt was denied a visa for reentry into Russia, despite having lived in Moscow since 1989. And this month, Moscow authorities overturned the decision to allot land for the construction of the Krishna temple, leaving the Moscow Krishna community without a place of worship.

    The State Department's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, released last week, offers further evidence. It reports how ''conditions deteriorated for some minority religious faiths'' and that ''some Federal agencies and many local authorities continue to restrict the rights of various religious minorities.''

    Based on the findings of the Helsinki Commission hearing and the ongoing problems, I decided to introduce H. Con. Res. 190. Foremost, this resolution urges the Russian Federation to ensure the full protection of freedom for all religions, as I said, without distinction, whether registered or unregistered, and to end the harassment of unregistered religious groups by security apparatus and other government agencies.

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    It also urges Russia to ensure that law enforcement officials vigorously investigate acts of violence against unregistered religious communities, as well as to make certain that authorities are not complicit in such attacks.

    In addition, many of the victims coming from unregistered religious communities do not have the networks of co-religionists in America and in Western Europe to advocate on their behalf. To remedy this, the resolution calls on all United States Embassy officials to continue to raise concerns with the Government of the Russian Federation over violations of religious freedom, including those of unregistered churches. Part of the problem is, they don't have friends or advocates, so we are trying to rectify that to some extent.

    The resolution has 27 co-sponsors, including many Members of our Subcommittee, and I do hope it will be supported by all the members.

    Mr. Payne.

    Mr. PAYNE. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for introducing H. Con. Res. 190.

    I am one of the 27 co-sponsors. As you know, it is just expressing the sense of the Congress that the Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of groups, whether they are registered or not registered.

    We feel that Russia, by participating in OSCE, should really try to respect what that organization stands for, and that the behavior and acts that are occurring in Russia are really moving in the right direction.

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    As the Chairman said, we just urge the Russian Federation to ensure full protection of freedoms of all religions and that they ensure that law enforcement officials vigorously investigate acts of violence and continue to raise concern to the Russian Federation over these violations.

    So we urge our colleagues to support this important resolution and hope that the Russian Federation will respect the content of it and move in a positive direction in the future.

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    Mr. SMITH. Thank you for your leadership on this as well.

    Are there any amendments?

    If not, the question occurs on the motion to report the resolution, H. Con. Res. 190, favorably to the Full Committee. All in favor, say aye.

    All opposed, say no.

    The ayes have it, and the bill is reported favorably.

    The staff is directed to make any technical and conforming amendments.

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The markup is adjourned. I thank my good friend.

[Whereupon, at 2:25 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]