,,ii  #aaf? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,s4 #cjfd  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,decemb] #ag1 #bjai,mr4
 ,wick] introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0  
read twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on  
,=eign ,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to oppose
 violations ( religi\s fre$om 9 ,ukra9e 
by ,russia & arm$ gr\ps comm&$ by       
,russia4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may 
be cit$ z ! ,ukra9e ,religi\s ,fre$om   
,support ,act4  #b4 ,f9d+s ,congress    
makes ! foll[+ f9d+s3  7#a7 ,russia     
invad$ ! ,crimea region ( ,ukra9e 9     
,febru>y #bjad1 cont9ues to occupy &    
control t region1 & has ex]cis$ control 
ov] "p ( ! ,donbas region ( ea/]n       
,ukra9e s9ce ,april #bjad ?r\gh non-/ate
 arm$ gr\ps & illegal entities x has    
e/abli%$1 in/igat$1 comm&$1 & support$1 
includ+ ) milit>y & intellig5ce p]sonnel
 on ! gr\nd f ,russia1 su* z !          
self-proclaim$ ,donetsk ,p's ,republic &
 ! ,luhansk ,p's ,republic4  7#b7       
,int]national humanit>ian law1 includ+ !
 ,g5eva ,conv5tions1 to :i* ,russia is a

 signatory1 requires ,russia to respect 
& protect ! religi\s fre$om ( !         
inhabitants ( ! t]ritory x occupies &   
controls1 or controls ?r\gh organiz$    
non-/ate arm$ gr\ps x comm&s1 & holds   
,russia responsible = violations (      
religi\s fre$om 9 ?is t]ritory4  7#c7   
,accord+ to ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate's       
,int]national ,religi\s ,fre$om         
,reports1 & o!r report+1 violations (   
religi\s fre$om 9 ! ,crimea region (    
,ukra9e s9ce ,russia invad$ & occupi$ ! 
t]ritory h includ$ abduction1 det5tion &
 imprisonm5t1 torture1 =c$ psy*iatric   
hospitalizations1 f9es1 re/rictions on  
mission>y activities1 confiscations (   
prop]ty1 includ+ *ur*es & meet+ halls1  
expulsions & ob/ructions to re5try1 d5y+
 regi/ration ( religi\s gr\ps1 v&alism1 
f9es1 & bann+ peaceful religi\s gr\ps1 &
 t>get$ gr\ps h includ$ ,muslim ,crimean
 ,tat>s1 ! ,or?odox ,*ur* ( ,ukra9e1    
=m]ly ! ,ukra9ian ,or?odox ,*ur* ( !    
,kyivan ,patri>*ate1 ! ,ukra9ian ,greek 
,ca?olic ,*ur*1 ,prote/ant ,*ri/ians1 & 

,jehovah's ,witnesses4  7#d7 ,accord+ to
 ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate's ,int]national    
,religi\s ,fre$om ,reports1 violations (
 religi\s fre$om 9 ! "p ( ! ,donbas     
region ( ,ukra9e controll$ by arm$ gr\ps
 comm&$ by ,russia h includ$ det5tion & 
imprisonm5t1 torture1 confiscation (    
prop]ty1 includ+ *ur*es & meet+ halls1  
physical assaults & ?reats ( viol5ce1   
v&alism1 f9es1 re/rictions on mission>y 
activities1 religi\s s]vices1 c]emonies1
 ga!r+s1 & lit]ature1 & bann+ ( peaceful
 religi\s gr\ps1 & t>get$ gr\ps h       
includ$ ! ,or?odox ,*ur* ( ,ukra9e1     
=m]ly ! ,ukra9ian ,or?odox ,*ur*-,kyiv  
,patri>*ate1 ! ,ukra9ian ,greek ,ca?olic
 ,*ur*1 ,prote/ant ,*ri/ians1 &         
,jehovah's ,witnesses4  7#e7 ,!         
,int]national ,religi\s ,fre$om ,act (  
#aiih 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #fdja et seq47     
requires ! ,presid5t to-- 7,a7 designate
 a =eign c\ntry z a c\ntry ( p>ticul>   
conc]n = religi\s fre$om :5 its gov]nm5t
 has engag$ 9 or tol]at$ p>ticul>ly     
sev]e violations ( religi\s fre$om 9 t  

c\ntry ov] ! previ\s #ab mon?s2  7,b7 to
 take #ae actions1 or comm5surate       
actions 9 sub/itution1 foll[+ !         
designation ( a c\ntry z a c\ntry (     
p>ticul> conc]n = religi\s fre$om2 &    
7,c7 designate a =eign c\ntry on a      
,special ,wat* ,li/ :5 its gov]nm5t has 
engag$ 9 or tol]at$ sev]e violations (  
religi\s fre$om 9 t c\ntry ov] ! previ\s
 #ab mon?s4  7#f7 ,on ,novemb] #bh1     
#bjah1 ! ,secret>y ( ,/ate designat$    
,russia on ! ,special ,wat* ,li/4  7#g7 
,! ,national ,security ,/rategy ( !     
,unit$ ,/ates issu$ 9 #bjag1 #bjae1     
#bjjf1 #bjjb1 #bjjj1 #aiii1 #aiih1 &    
#aiig committ$ ! ,unit$ ,/ates to       
promot+ int]national religi\s fre$om to 
advance ! security1 economic1 & o!r     
national int]e/s ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates4  #c4
 ,/atem5t ( policy ,x is ! policy ( !   
,unit$ ,/ates to consid]-- 7#a7 any ali5
 :o1 :ile s]v+ z an (ficial ( !         
,gov]nm5t ( ,russia1 0 responsible = or 
directly or indirectly c>ri$ out        
p>ticul>ly sev]e violations ( religi\s  

fre$om 9 ! t]ritory ( ,ukra9e t ,russia 
occupies & controls1 or controls ?r\gh  
non-/ate arm$ gr\ps x comm&s2 &  7#b7 ! 
sp\se & *ildr51 if any1 ( su* ali51  to 
h committ$ p>ticul>ly sev]e violations (
 religi\s fre$om = purposes ( apply+    
section #bab7;a77#b77;,g7 ( !           
,immigration & ,nationality ,act 7#h    
,u4,s4,c4 #aahb7;a77#b77;,g77 ) respect 
to any su* ali5 & sp\se & *ildr5 ( su*  
ali54  #d4 ,designation ( ,russia z a   
c\ntry ( p>ticul> conc]n = religi\s     
fre$om ,= purposes ( mak+ a det]m9ation 
( :e!r to designate ,russia z a c\ntry (
 p>ticul> conc]n = religi\s fre$om "u   
section #djb ( ! ,int]national ,religi\s
 ,fre$om ,act ( #aiih 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4    
#fddb71 ! ,presid5t %all consid] any    
p>ticul>ly sev]e violation ( religi\s   
fre$om 9 ! t]ritory ( ,ukra9e t ,russia 
occupies & ex]cises controls1 or        
controls ?r\gh non-/ate arm$ gr\ps x    
comm&s1 dur+ ! p]iod ( "t t is ! basis =
 ! det]m9ation & designation1 to be a   
p>ticul>ly sev]e violation ( religi\s   

fre$om t ! ,gov]nm5t ( ,russia has      
engag$ 9 or tol]at$4