[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 258 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 258
Expressing the sense of the Senate on the arrest of Mikhail B.
Khodorkovsky by the Russian Federation.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 4, 2003
Mr. Lugar (for himself and Mr. Biden) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
November 7, 2003
Reported by Mr. Lugar, without amendment
December 9, 2003
Considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Senate on the arrest of Mikhail B.
Khodorkovsky by the Russian Federation.
Whereas the Russian Federation is now a member of the family of democratic
countries;
Whereas the United States supports the development of democracy, free markets,
and civil society in the Russian Federation and in other states of the
former Soviet Union;
Whereas the rule of law, the impartial application of the law, and equal justice
for all in courts of law are pillars of all democratic societies;
Whereas investment, both foreign and domestic, in the economy of Russia is
necessary for the growth of the economy and raising the standard of
living of the citizens of the Russian Federation;
Whereas property rights are a bulwark of civil society against encroachment by
the state, and a fundamental building block of democracy; and
Whereas reports of the arrest of Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky and the freezing of
shares of the oil conglomerate YUKOS have raised questions about the
possible selective application of the law in the Russian Federation and
may have compromised investor confidence in business conditions there:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the law enforcement and judicial authorities of the
Russian Federation should ensure that Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky
is accorded the full measure of his rights under the Russian
Constitution to defend himself against any and all charges that
may be brought against him, in a fair and transparent process,
so that individual justice may be done, but also so that the
efforts the Russian Federation has been making to reform its
system of justice may be seen to be moving forward; and
(2) such authorities of the Russian Federation should make
every effort to dispel growing international concerns that--
(A) the cases against Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky and
other business leaders are politically motivated; and
(B) the potential remains for misuse of the justice
system in the Russian Federation.
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