[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 629 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 629
Condemning violence by the Government of Syria against journalists, and
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on freedom of the
press in Syria.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 19, 2012
Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. Pence, Mr. Wolf, and Mr. Berman) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning violence by the Government of Syria against journalists, and
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on freedom of the
press in Syria.
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 (2006) stresses the
obligations of states under international norms to ensure the safety of
journalists in war zones;
Whereas, since the uprisings in Syria began in January 2011, the Government of
Syria has denied entry to foreign journalists and arrested, abducted,
beaten, tortured, and killed journalists, photographers, and bloggers to
prevent the free flow of accurate information to the outside world;
Whereas restrictions imposed by the Government of Syria on media have made it
extraordinarily difficult to verify death tolls and the exact nature and
course of events within the country;
Whereas Syrian state media reports differ significantly from the few independent
reports that make their way out of Syria;
Whereas Reporters Without Borders, an international nongovernmental organization
that advocates freedom of the press and freedom of information, has
listed Bashar al-Assad as a Predator of Freedom of the Press;
Whereas the League of Arab States called for the media to be allowed into Syria
during its monitoring mission that was suspended indefinitely on January
28, 2012, due to the ``critical deterioration of the situation'' in
Syria;
Whereas freelance journalist Ferzat Jarban was tortured and killed on November
19 or 20, 2011, after filming protests in Al-Qassir, Syria;
Whereas videographer Basil al-Sayed died on December 27, 2011, from a gunshot
wound he suffered 5 days earlier at a checkpoint in the Baba Amr
neighborhood in the city of Homs, Syria;
Whereas Shukri Abu al-Burghul of the state-owned daily Al Thawra and Radio
Damascus died on January 3, 2012, in Damascus, Syria from a gunshot
wound to the head he suffered four days earlier;
Whereas Gilles Jacquier, a correspondent with France 2 television, was killed in
a grenade explosion on January 11, 2012, while covering demonstrations
in the city of Homs;
Whereas freelance journalist Mazhar Tayyara, a videographer and photojournalist
who contributed to Agence France-Presse and other international outlets,
was killed by government forces' fire in the city of Homs on February 4,
2012;
Whereas New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid died of an asthma attack on
February 16, 2012, while attempting to leave Syria after reporting
inside the country for a week, gathering information on the Free Syrian
Army and other armed elements of the resistance to the government of
President Bashar al-Assad;
Whereas freelance journalist Rami al-Sayed, who filmed videos of Syrian security
forces' repressive acts, was killed on February 21, 2012, while covering
the bombardment of the city of Homs by Government of Syria forces;
Whereas journalist Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times, a United States citizen,
and freelance photojournalist Remi Ochlik were killed on February 22,
2012, after their makeshift press center in Homs was struck by rockets
fired by Government of Syria forces;
Whereas, on February 22, 2012, Department of State Spokesman Mark Toner stated,
``[T]oday, we're also clearly deeply troubled and saddened by reports
that American journalist Marie Colvin and French journalist Remi Ochlik
were killed today in Homs as a result of the intense shelling, the
ongoing intense shelling by the Syrian regime. . . . We, of course,
extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones and just
note that their sacrifice in chronicling the daily suffering of the
people of Homs stands as a testament to journalism's highest
standards.'';
Whereas 13 opposition activists in Syria were killed during a weeklong attempt
to rescue 4 foreign journalists, 2 of whom were injured, who were
trapped in Homs as a result of the bombardment by the Government of
Syria that killed Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik;
Whereas videographer Anas al-Tarsha, who documented unrest in the besieged city
of Homs, was killed by a mortar round while filming the bombardment of
the city's Qarabees district on February 24, 2012;
Whereas, from 1992 through 2010, zero journalists were killed in Syria according
to the Committee to Protect Journalists; and
Whereas the Government of Syria has continued to arbitrarily arrest and detain
prominent Syrian journalists and bloggers: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) calls on the Government of Syria to immediately open
the country up to independent and foreign journalists and
immediately end its media blackout;
(2) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Government
of Syria's abuse, intimidation, and violence towards
journalists, videographers, and bloggers;
(3) calls on the Government of Syria to immediately release
all journalists, videographers, and bloggers who have been
detained, arrested, or imprisoned;
(4) pays tribute to the journalists who have lost their
lives while reporting on the conflict in Syria;
(5) commends the bravery and courage of journalists who
continue to operate in harm's way;
(6) supports the people of Syria seeking access to a free
flow of accurate news and other forms of information;
(7) recognizes the critical role that technology plays in
helping independent journalists report the facts on the ground;
(8) condemns all acts of censorship and other restrictions
on freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of
expression in Syria;
(9) strongly condemns all nations that assist or enable the
Government of Syria's ongoing repression of the media; and
(10) reaffirms the centrality of press freedom to efforts
by the United States Government to support democracy and
promote good governance around the world.
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