,,iii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #aia ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #c1 #bjbc ,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 and ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,recognizing widening threats to freedom of the press and free expression around the world1 reaffirming the vital role that a free and independent press plays in combating the growing threats of authoritarianism1 misinformation1 and disinformation1 and reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority of the ,united ,states ,government in promoting democracy1 human rights1 and good governance in commemoration of ,world ,press ,freedom ,day on ,may #c1 #bjbc4 ,whereas the ,first ,amendment to the ,united ,states ,constitution and various ,state constitutions protect freedom of the press in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas ,thomas ,jefferson1 who championed the necessity of a free press for a thriving democratic society1 wisely declared1 ,our liberty depends on the freedom of the press1 and that cannot be limited without being lost42 ,whereas article #ai of the ,united ,nations ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights1 adopted in ,paris on ,december #aj1 #aidh1 states1 ,everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression2 this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek1 receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers42 ,whereas1 in #aiic1 the ,united ,nations ,general ,assembly proclaimed the third day of ,may of each year to be ,world ,press ,freedom ,day-- 7#a7 to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom2 7#b7 to evaluate press freedom around the world2 7#c7 to defend the media against attacks on its independence2 and 7#d7 to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives while working in their profession2 ,whereas the ,daniel ,pearl ,freedom of the ,press ,act of #bjji 7,public ,law #aaa-aff7 expanded the examination of the freedom of the press around the world in the annual ,country ,reports on ,human ,rights ,practices published by the ,department of ,state2 ,whereas1 on ,december #ah1 #bjac1 and ,december #ah1 #bjai1 the ,united ,nations ,general ,assembly adopted ,resolution #fh_/afc and ,resolution #gd_/aeg1 respectively1 on the safety of journalists and the problem of impunity by unequivocally condemning all attacks on1 and violence against1 journalists and media workers1 including torture1 extrajudicial killing1 enforced disappearance1 arbitrary detention1 and intimidation and harassment in conflict and non-conflict situations2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government has used the ,global ,magnitsky ,human ,rights ,accountability ,act 7subtitle ,f of title ,,xii of ,public ,law #aad-cbh7 to place targeted visa and economic sanctions on individuals1 including for their roles in the targeted killings of journalists2 ,whereas1 in an effort to combat attacks against journalists1 ,secretary of ,state ,antony ,j4 ,blinken in ,february #bjba1 announced the ,khashoggi ,ban1 a new policy allowing the ,department of ,state to impose visa restrictions on individuals who1 acting on behalf of a foreign government1 are believed to have been directly engaged in serious1 extraterritorial counter-dissident activities1 including activities that suppress1 harass1 surveil1 threaten1 or harm journalists1 activists1 or other persons perceived to be dissidents for their work2 ,whereas ,reporters ,without ,borders1 in their compiled data from #bjbb1 provide alarming indications about growing divisions resulting from the spread of disinformation with the potential to weaken democratic societies2 ,whereas1 according to ,reporters ,without ,borders1 a record total of #ecc journalists were in prison as of ,december #a1 #bjbb1 and the annual number of women journalists in prison has recently risen by nearly #cj percent2 ,whereas ,freedom ,house's ,freedom in the ,world #bjbc report marked the #agth consecutive year of decline in global freedom1 with an estimated #ci percent of the global population living in countries deemed ,not ,free2 ,whereas worsening media freedom has been one of the key drivers of declines in global freedom1 including attacks and prosecutions against journalists1 pressure on media outlets1 repressive regulatory and legal frameworks1 internet shutdowns1 and blocks on online sources of information2 ,whereas journalists and media staff are being murdered1 attacked1 harassed and imprisoned around the world and the ,committee to ,protect ,journalists has reported that-- 7#a7 at least #fg journalists and media workers were killed around the world in #bjbb1 representing a rise compared to the previous year of almost #ej percent2 7#b7 the vast majority of murders of journalists occur with impunity1 with nearly #hj percent of the perpetrators of #bfc murders of journalists from ,september #a1 #bjab1 to ,august #ca1 #bjbb1 facing no punishment2 7#c7 ,iran1 ,china1 ,burma1 ,turkey1 and ,belarus were responsible for nearly #fj percent of all imprisoned journalists2 and 7#d7 journalists and media outlets around the world have been targeted by government actors with sophisticated spyware products that pose a severe risk to their security and the security of their sources and families2 ,whereas1 according to ,,pen ,america1 at least #caa writers and public intellectuals1 including columnists and editorial journalists1 were imprisoned across #cf different countries during #bjbb2 ,whereas1 since the start of ,russia's full-scale invasion of ,ukraine in ,february #bjbb1 ,reporters ,without ,borders has documented attacks directly targeting journalists1 including-- 7#a7 the killing of #h journalists and media workers2 7#b7 the torture by electric shock1 beatings1 and mock executions of journalists working for the international press2 7#c7 the targeted kidnappings of journalists and their families in occupied regions of ,ukraine to put pressure on their reporting2 and 7#d7 the deliberate attacks targeting media facilities2 ,whereas1 in the ,ukrainian territory of ,crimea1 ,ukrainian journalists and bloggers have repeatedly been threatened1 arbitrarily arrested1 and tortured for resisting ,russian occupation1 such as the detentions of ,vladyslav ,yesypenko ,iryna ,danylovych1 ,amet ,suleimanov1 ,asan ,akhmetov1 ,marlen ,asanov1 ,nariman ,celal1 ,oleksiy ,bessarabov1 ,osman ,arifmemetov1 ,remzi ,bekirov1 ,ruslan ,suleimanov1 ,rustem ,sheikhaliev1 ,server ,mustafayev1 ,seyran ,saliev1 ,timur ,ibragimov1 and ,vilen ,temeryanov2 ,whereas media workers face heightened dangers in ,russia1 such as harassment1 repression1 censorship1 and imprisonment1 with #bb journalists imprisoned as of ,april #ag1 #bjbc1 of whom #aj were arrested after the beginning of the invasion of ,ukraine1 including-- 7#a7 ,evan ,gershkovich1 a ,united ,states reporter with the ,wall ,street ,journal1 who was wrongfully detained on baseless espionage charges in ,march and faces up to #bj years in jail2 7#b7 ,ivan ,safronov1 a correspondent with ,russian business dailies ,kommersant and ,vedomosti1 who was sentenced to #bb years in jail on treason charges in ,september #bjbb2 7#c7 ,maria ,ponomarenko1 a correspondent with the ,rus,news independent news website1 who was sentenced to #f years in prison for spreading false information about the ,russian military on ,february #ae1 #bjbc2 7#d7 ,sergey ,mikhaylov1 publisher of independent newspaper ,listok1 who was arrested for spreading false information about the ,russian military in ,april #bjbb2 7#e7 ,mikhail ,afanasyev1 editor-in-chief of the online magazine ,novy ,fokus1 who was arrested and charged with spreading false information about the ,russian military in ,april #bjbb2 7#f7 ,novaya ,gazeta1 a landmark independent newspaper founded in #aiic1 which-- 7,a7 suspended operations in ,russia in ,march #bjbb after receiving warnings from the authorities citing the country's foreign agents law2 and 7,b7 was stripped of its print and online media licenses in ,september #bjbb2 and 7#g7 ,meduza1 a leading independent bilingual news website based outside of ,russia1 which-- 7,a7 was designated by ,russian authorities in ,january #bjbc as an undesirable organization under the #bjae ,undesirable ,organization ,law2 and 7,b7 was banned from operating in the ,russian ,federation2 ,whereas1 according to the ,committee to ,protect ,journalists1 the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china had detained at least #dc journalists1 as of ,december #a1 #bjbb1 and has unleashed an onslaught of attacks on press freedom in ,china and ,hong ,kong1 including through-- 7#a7 state-sponsored censorship and disinformation campaigns limiting access to information about any dissent1 including recent protests against then-imposed ,,covid-#ai restrictions1 and by censoring protest-related keywords on social media platforms2 7#b7 attacks on press freedom in ,hong ,kong1 including the passage of the ,national ,security ,law1 which poses an existential threat to the city's tradition of press freedom1 and the arrest and subsequent conviction of ,jimmy ,lai1 owner of ,hong ,kong's largest media outlet1 ,apple ,daily1 and an outspoken democracy advocate2 7#c7 arrests or other repressive actions against independent journalists and others in mainland ,china attempting to share uncensored news or opinion about current affairs1 including ,sophia ,huang ,xueqin1 who has written about women's rights and the protests in ,hong ,kong1 and has been arbitrarily detained for more than #ejj days2 7#d7 the detention of journalists critical of the ,government of ,china1 including ,ruan ,xiaohuan1 who1 after blogging about programming and politics1 was sentenced to a #g-year term of imprisonment in early #bjbc1 following #ba months of incommunicado detention2 and 7#e7 the continued detention of ,uyghur journalists1 who account for nearly #ej percent of imprisoned journalists in ,china1 including ,ilham ,tohti1 founder of the news website ,uighurbiz1 who was detained in #bjad and is serving a life sentence2 ,whereas ,afghanistan1 under the control of the ,taliban1 remains one of the most repressive countries for journalists1 with journalists in ,afghanistan being subject to arrest1 beatings1 and arbitrary restrictions on their work1 including journalists ,mortaza ,behboudi and ,khairullah ,parhar1 who have been detained by the ,taliban since ,january #bjbc2 ,whereas ,belarus has witnessed sweeping attacks against the press since ,alexander ,lukashenka's fraudulent election in ,august #bjbj1 with journalists and media workers harassed1 assaulted1 imprisoned1 or otherwise retaliated against for their work1 including-- 7#a7 ,katsiaryna ,andreyeva1 a correspondent with ,poland-based independent broadcaster ,belsat ,,tv1 who1 while serving a #b-year prison term for filming a live broadcast of the violent dispersal of a protest against ,lukashenko in ,november #bjbj1 was sentenced to #h additional years in prison on treason charges in ,july #bjbb2 7#b7 ,ksenia ,lutskina1 a former correspondent for the state broadcaster ,belteleradio1 who was sentenced to #h years in prison on charges of conspiring to seize state power in ,september #bjbb1 and who is not receiving appropriate medical care despite having a preexisting brain tumor that has grown during her detention2 7#c7 ,maryna ,zolatava1 chief editor of independent news website ,tut4by1 who was sentenced to #ab years in prison on charges of incitement to hatred and distributing materials calling for actions aimed at harming national security in ,march #bjbc2 7#d7 ,andrey ,kuznechyk1 a journalist who1 while working for ,radio ,free ,europe_/,radio ,liberty1 was detained in ,november #bjba1 and sentenced in ,june #bjbb to #f years in prison on charges of forming an extremist group2 and 7#e7 ,ihar ,losik1 another ,radio ,free ,europe_/,radio ,liberty journalist who was arrested in ,june #bjbj1 and sentenced in ,december #bjba to #ae years in jail on bogus charges of preparation of actions that violate public order1 who attempted suicide in ,march #bjbc1 and whose wife ,darya was sentenced in ,january #bjbc to #b years in prison on a charge of facilitating extremist activity2 ,whereas ,reporters ,without ,borders asserts that due to oppression by the military junta1 press freedom in ,burma has been set back ten years in ten days after the ,february #a1 #bjba1 military coup1 including through-- 7#a7 media workers forced into hiding and confronting censorship1 harassment1 internet blocks1 beatings1 interrogations1 threats1 and injuries at the hands of the military2 7#b7 multiple independent media outlets had forced to cease operations or close altogether or had their licenses revoked by the military2 and 7#c7 journalists being detained at alarming rates1 with #ge journalists in prison as of ,april #ag1 #bjbc2 ,whereas ,cuba remains a highly restricted environment for independent media1 marked by internet restrictions and constant harassment of journalists and news outlets1 including journalist ,lzaro ,yuri ,valle ,roca who was sentenced to #e years in prison for enemy propaganda and resistance in ,july #bjbb1 a clear sign that the ,cuban regime continues using the extreme measure of jailing journalists to maintain its regime of censorship2 ,whereas ,egypt's restrictions on the media have accelerated under ,president ,abdel ,fattah el-,sisi since #bjac1 with at least #ba journalists imprisoned as of ,december #a1 #bjbb1 according to the ,committee to ,protect ,journalists1 including-- 7#a7 ,alaa ,abd ,el ,fattah1 a blogger sentenced to #e years in prison for broadcasting false news who embarked on a hunger strike on ,april #b1 #bjbb1 to protest his mistreatment1 which he escalated to a near-fatal water strike that prompted a forced medical intervention by prison officials upon the start of the ,united ,nations ,,cop #bg climate summit in ,sharm ,el-,sheikh1 ,egypt on ,november #f1 #bjbb2 7#b7 ,hisham ,abdel ,aziz1 an ,al ,jazeera journalist who is on the verge of losing his eyesight following untreated glaucoma while in prison2 and 7#c7 ,mahmoud ,abou ,zeid1 who was released after #e years in prison1 but remains subject to a #e-year probation term that requires his continuous presence at a police station between #f3jj p4m4 and #f3jj a4m4 daily2 ,whereas assaults on press freedom in ,el ,salvador imperil its fragile democracy and include both verbal attacks on journalists by political leaders and the use of state power to intimidate independent media1 such as-- 7#a7 the ongoing criminal investigation against outlet ,el ,faro1 which was launched after it reported damaging information about the government1 and which led the media outlet to relocate most of its operations to ,costa ,rica following harassment by ,salvadorian police2 7#b7 the online attacks and threats to journalists from the outlet ,revista ,factum1 which has been banned from press conferences at the presidential residence2 and 7#c7 the adoption of a new law that imposes prison sentences ranging from #aj to #ae years for certain reporting on criminal groups1 such as gangs2 ,whereas1 in ,india1 government authorities frequently impose internet and communication blackouts in certain areas1 and have recently detained and charged journalists covering political demonstrations1 called for the temporary blockage of journalists and media accounts on ,twitter1 and subjected journalists to searches and arrests1 including-- 7#a7 the ,february #bjbc raid on the ,british ,broadcasting ,company offices in ,delhi and ,mumbai1 during which tax authorities seized employees' laptops and mobile phones1 following an ,income ,tax ,department order the previous month1 widely viewed as an attempt to censor the outlet following the release of a documentary on key political figures in ,india2 and 7#b7 the house arrest of ,gautam ,navlakha1 a journalist and activist1 who has been awaiting trial since ,april #bjbj on charges of instigating caste violence2 ,whereas ,pakistan maintains high levels of media censorship and impunity persists in cases of killings and physical attacks on journalists who criticize the military and state institutions1 including-- 7#a7 the arrest of journalists ,imran ,riaz ,khan1 in ,july #bjbb1 under sedition charges for his criticism of the military2 and 7#b7 the assault of ,ayaz ,amir1 an employee of ,dunya ,news1 on ,july #a1 #bjbb1 days after he had made comments criticizing former ,prime ,minister ,imran ,khan and the military2 ,whereas ,iran was the leading jailer of journalists and the most prolific jailer of female journalists in #bjbb1 subjecting media workers to aggressive intimidation1 arbitrary summons1 arrests1 travel bans1 conditional releases1 torture1 inhumane treatment1 and unsubstantiated and unjust sentences1 including-- 7#a7 ,niloofar ,hamedi1 correspondent of the daily newspaper ,shargh1 who was imprisoned in #bjbb for trying to document the death of ,mahsa ,amini on charges that could result in the death penalty2 7#b7 ,elahe ,mohammadi1 journalist for the daily ,ham ,mihan1 who was also imprisoned in #bjbb for the same action and on the same charges2 7#c7 ,yalda ,moaiery1 a prominent female photojournalist who-- 7,a7 while covering the nationwide protests in ,tehran1 was arrested by anti-riot police despite having press credentials2 7,b7 was later charged with spreading propaganda against the system and acting against national security2 and 7,c7 was sentenced to #f years in prison2 7#d7 freelance journalist ,fariborz ,kalantari1 who was sentenced on ,february #g1 #bjba1 to #g years in prison and #gd lashes for using his telegram channel to circulate articles about corruption charges brought against the ex-,vice ,president's brother2 7#e7 ,mahmoud ,mahmoudi1 the editor of the weekly newspaper ,agrin ,rozh1 who was arrested by agents of the ,ministry of ,intelligence in ,sanandaj after issuing an open letter calling for the release of detained ,kurdish activists2 7#f7 freelance photojournalist ,nooshin ,jafari1 who was arrested in #bjba1 and sentenced to a #d-year prison term for spreading anti-state propaganda and insulting sanctities2 and 7#g7 ,iranian journalist ,navid ,seyed-,mohammadi1 a ,kurdish reporter for the state-run ,islamic ,republic ,radio and ,television broadcaster1 who was arrested in ,may #bjbj and is serving a #g-year prison sentence for espionage for hostile states2 ,whereas ,mexico continues to be one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists1 where #be journalists are currently counted as missing1 and reporters covering stories on political corruption and organized crime are frequently assaulted and murdered1 including-- 7#a7 ,gustavo ,snchez ,cabrera1 a reporter who covered crime and politics and who was murdered in front of his son2 7#b7 ,ricardo ,domnguez ,lpez1 the founder and editor of news website ,info,guaymas2 7#c7 ,lourdes ,maldonado ,lpez1 a broadcast journalist1 and ,margarito ,martinez1 a photojournalist1 who were both killed in ,tijuana in ,january #bjbb2 7#d7 ,juan ,carlos ,muiz1 a reporter who covered crime for the news website ,testigo ,minero2 and 7#e7 ,fredid ,romn1 the founder of the newspaper ,la ,realidad and a columnist for the newspaper ,vrtice ,diario de ,chilpancingo2 ,whereas ,haiti is the second deadliest country in the ,western ,hemisphere for journalists1 with #g journalists killed during #bjbb1 following a steady uptick of violence against the press over the last several years2 ,whereas the years-long persecution of journalists in ,nicaragua continues1 including news outlets being forced to close and individual journalists being threatened1 harassed1 sued1 surveilled1 jailed1 and forced into exile1 including-- 7#a7 ,miguel ,mendoza1 who along with #f other journalists and media workers1 was among the group of #bbb political prisoners released by ,nicaraguan authorities in ,february #bjbc1 sent to the ,united ,states1 and subsequently stripped of their ,nicaraguan citizenship2 and 7#b7 journalist ,victor ,ticay1 who was arrested in ,april #bjbc1 in connection to his ,april #e reporting about a ,catholic ,easter celebration2 ,whereas ,honduras remains one of the ,western ,hemisphere's most dangerous countries for journalists1 where those working for opposition media or who are outspoken critics of the government are subjected to harassment1 intimidation1 and death threats by the country's security forces and its affiliates2 ,whereas criminal defamation lawsuits and legislation have been used in ,peru to harass and silence investigative journalists who write about prominent political figures and the violent repression of protestors has also increased the risk to journalists covering ongoing social unrest in ,peru2 ,whereas the ,office of the ,director of ,national ,intelligence has concluded that the #bjah murder of ,washington ,post journalist and ,american resident ,jamal ,khashoggi in ,istanbul was approved by ,saudi ,crown ,prince ,mohamed bin ,salman and impunity continues for the ,saudi officials involved in this crime2 ,whereas the ,kingdom of ,saudi ,arabia maintains an especially hostile environment towards journalists through systematic and arbitrary arrests1 torture and inhumane or degrading treatment1 lengthy pre-trial detentions1 political persecution1 and conditional release restrictions1 which inhibit reporters and columnists from traveling or returning to their professional work post-detention1 including-- 7#a7 ,maha ,al-,rafidi ,al-,qahtani1 a journalist and writer arrested in ,september #bjai1 held in solitary confinement and physically abused while in prison2 7#b7 ,abdulrahman ,farhana1 a columnist detained in ,february #bjai1 charged with membership in a terrorist organization2 7#c7 ,zuhair ,kutbi1 a journalist jailed in ,january #bjai1 who reportedly suffers from torture1 malnourishment1 and denial of cancer treatment in prison2 and 7#d7 blogger ,raif ,badawi1 who recently completed a #aj-year prison sentence on blasphemy and apostasy charges1 and who remains subjected to a further #aj-year travel ban1 which prevents him from reuniting with his family who received asylum in ,canada2 ,whereas the battle for a free press continues to be fought in ,south ,asia and ,southeast ,asia1 where-- 7#a7 ,bangladeshi journalists are subjected to arbitrary arrests and charges under the ,digital ,security ,act1 and suffer killings and physical attacks with near-total impunity 7#b7 journalist1 ,nobel ,prize laureate1 and ,united ,states citizen ,maria ,ressa1 despite rulings in her favor1 continues to face lawfare for her reporting on ,president ,duterte's war on drugs1 among other topics2 7#c7 ,vietnamese journalists ,pham ,chi ,dung1 ,nguyen ,tuong ,thuy1 and ,le ,huu ,minh ,tuan were each sentenced to more than #aj years in prison2 and 7#d7 ,pham ,doan ,trang1 a ,vietnamese journalist and writer1 following a year in detention1 was sentenced to #i years in prison for anti-state propaganda in a judicial proceeding and imprisonment declared arbitrary by the ,united ,nations ,working ,group on ,arbitrary ,detention2 ,whereas press freedom continues to face challenges in sub-,saharan ,africa1 including in-- 7#a7 ,ethiopia1 where a crackdown on the press has included-- 7,a7 the arbitrary arrests of journalists1 which was exacerbated during the civil war and has continued even after the signing of a peace agreement in ,november #bjbb2 7,b7 internet disruptions deployed during times of political tension1 including as recently as ,april #bjbc1 making it difficult and dangerous for the press to report the news2 7,c7 the ,january #bjbc suspension of #ae media outlets1 including the ,,bbc's ,somali service1 and their representatives from operating in the ,somali ,regional ,state2 and 7,d7 the failure to provide a credible accounting for the #bjba killings of journalists ,dawit ,kebede ,araya and ,sisay ,fida2 7#b7 ,nigeria1 where journalists have been repeatedly detained and charged for their work1 including-- 7,a7 ,luke ,binniyat1 who was arrested in ,november #bjba1 released on bail in ,february #bjbb1 and is facing #c years in prison if convicted of sending false information under the ,cybercrimes ,act2 7,b7 ,agba ,jalingo1 publisher of the ,cross,river,watch news site1 who was arrested on ,march #bg1 #bjbc1 charged under the ,cybercrimes ,act for allegedly publishing false news1 and released on bail on ,april #c1 #bjbc2 and 7,c7 ,haruna ,mohammed ,salisu1 publisher of the ,wikki,times1 who was arrested while covering the ,february #be1 #bjbc1 ,federal elections1 charged under the penal code with inciting the public to disturb the ,bauchi state governor1 and released on bail on ,march #a1 #bjbc2 7#c7 ,eritrea1 which is one of the world's most censored nations1 and where at least #af journalists1 including editors ,dawit ,isaak and ,amanuel ,asrat1 are detained1 with most of these detentions commencing during a #bjja crackdown on the independent press1 according to the ,committee to ,protect ,journalists2 7#d7 ,cameroon1 where-- 7,a7 #e journalists were imprisoned as of ,december #bjbb2 7,b7 at least #b journalists have died in government custody under suspicious circumstances since #bjaj2 and 7,c7 journalist ,martinez ,zogo was abducted1 tortured1 and killed in ,january #bjbc2 7#e7 ,rwanda1 where-- 7,a7 at least #d journalists were imprisoned as of ,december #a1 #bjbb1 according to the ,committee to ,protect ,journalists2 and 7,b7 journalist ,john ,williams ,ntwali1 who1 after reporting on cases of torture1 disappearances1 and forced government evictions1 was killed under suspicious circumstances2 7#f7 ,somalia1 where recent violations include the months-long legal harassment of the freelance journalist and press freedom advocate ,abdalle ,ahmed ,mumin1 who was detained several times and convicted of disobeying government orders in connection to his objection to government plans to censor media coverage of security issues and was released on ,march #bf1 #bjbc1 after more than #a month in prison2 7#g7 ,burundi1 where journalist ,floriane ,irangabiye is serving a #aj-year prison sentence1 following a ,january #bjbc conviction in connection to her critical commentary on governance issues in the country2 7#h7 in ,mali and ,burkina ,faso1 where foreign journalists have been expelled and ,french media outlets have been banned2 and 7#i7 in ,zimbabwe1 where the country's overly broad cybercrime legislation has been used to detain journalists and silence the press2 ,whereas1 in ,turkey1 where the ,erdogan government maintains one of the world's most repressive environments for journalists and continues to imprison at least #dj journalists in retaliation for their professional work1 including #ae ,kurdish journalists who were arrested in ,june #bjbb1 but were never publicly charged2 ,whereas ,hatice ,duman1 the longest imprisoned journalist in ,turkey1 who has been serving a life sentence on terrorism charges since ,april #i1 #bjjc1 told the ,committee to ,protect ,journalists in ,november that she had little hope for freedom in her current retrial2 ,whereas1 in ,georgia1 the free press is increasingly threatened1 as evidenced by the conviction of former government minister and journalist ,nika ,gvaramia to a #db month prison sentence on ,may #af1 #bjbb1 on charges widely denounced as politically motivated1 and attempts to pass laws modeled after the ,russian ,federation's infamous foreign agents law1 and insufficient prosecution of frequent physical attacks on members of the press2 ,whereas1 in ,tajikistan1 where the government continues its systematic repression of the free press in #bjbb by sentencing #f journalists to lengthy prison terms on spurious charges in secretive1 closed-door trials held in detention centers amid allegations of torture and forced confessions1 including-- 7#a7 ,ulfatkhonim ,mamadshoeva1 a #ff-year-old ethnic ,pamiri journalist and human rights defender1 who was sentenced to #bj years in prison2 and 7#b7 journalists ,daler ,imomali1 ,abdullo ,ghurbati1 ,zavqibek ,saidamini1 and ,abdusattor ,pirmuhammadzoda1 who were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from #g to #aj years on spurious charges of extremism2 ,whereas1 in ,kyrgyzstan1 where the government has taken worrying steps to undermine the country's relative press freedom since the start of #bjbb1 including by-- 7#a7 blocking news websites under an arbitrary new false information law1 including that of ,radio ,free ,europe_/,radio ,liberty2 and 7#b7 imposing spurious charges of illegal drug manufacture on investigative journalist ,bolot ,temirov and deporting him to the ,russian ,federation in retaliation for his reporting on corruption in the government's procurement processes2 ,whereas the ,government of ,morocco has imposed severe crackdowns on freedom of expression and supporters of a free press and is currently detaining #ac journalists1 including-- 7#a7 ,taoufik ,bouachrine1 the publisher and editor-in-chief of ,akhbar al-,youm1 who was arrested in ,february #bjah on retaliatory charges related to his journalism and is serving a #ae-year prison sentence2 7#b7 ,soulaimane ,raissouni1 a columnist and editor-in-chief ,akhbar al-,youm1 who succeeded publisher ,taoufik ,bouachrine and was arrested on similar retaliatory charges in ,may #bjbj1 and is serving a #e-year prison sentence2 7#c7 ,ali ,anouzla1 a journalist and editor of the news website ,lakome1 who has been repeatedly arrested on retaliatory charges relating to his journalism including apologism for terrorism1 material aid for terrorism1 and incitement to terrorism2 7#d7 ,maati ,monjib1 a historian and advocate for free press1 who was detained in ,december #bjbj for #c months on specious national security and fraud charges and remains subject to restrictive bail conditions2 and 7#e7 ,omar ,radi1 a journalist who was arrested on suspicion of espionage in ,june #bjbj shortly after ,amnesty ,international reported that the ,moroccan authorities hacked his phone and monitored his activities2 ,whereas1 in #bjbb and #bjbc1 press freedom in ,algeria continued to deteriorate at an alarming pace1 with the newspaper ,libert closing after #cj years in print following a decision by its owner1 as a result of the interminable pressure exerted at the highest level in recent months against its editorial line1 with the newspaper ,el ,watan being subjected to strong pressures that led to a radical change in its editorial line1 and before the recent adoption of an alarming media law1 several journalists were summoned and prosecuted for their work1 notably-- 7#a7 ,nadir ,kerri1 who was placed under judicial supervision2 7#b7 ,belkacem ,haouam1 who was detained for #b months in response to an article he published in late #bjbb2 and 7#c7 ,ihsane ,el ,kadi1 who was prosecuted several times and remains in prison after he was ultimately sentenced to #c years in prison in ,april #bjbc2 ,whereas the ,maduro regime of ,venezuela continues to target independent media outlets1 restrict the exercise of freedom of expression1 and severely limit ,venezuelan access to accurate information2 ,whereas ,american journalists have been victimized while reporting abroad1 including-- 7#a7 ,christopher ,allen1 who was killed while covering the conflict in ,south ,sudan on ,august #bf1 #bjag1 and whose killing has yet to be investigated by authorities after nearly #f years2 7#b7 ,austin ,tice1 who was kidnapped in ,syria and has been held in captivity since ,august #ab1 #bjab2 7#c7 ,brent ,renaud1 who was killed by ,russian forces while covering the war in ,ukraine on ,march #ac1 #bjbb2 and 7#d7 ,evan ,gershkovich1 who was arrested in ,russia on charges of espionage on ,march #bi1 #bjbc2 ,whereas1 under the auspices of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,global ,media1 the ,united ,states ,government provides financial assistance to several editorially independent media outlets1 including ,voice of ,america1 ,radio ,free ,europe_/,radio ,liberty1 ,radio ,free ,asia1 the ,office of ,cuba ,broadcasting1 and the ,middle ,east ,broadcasting ,networks-- 7#a7 which report and broadcast news1 information1 and analysis in critical regions around the world2 and 7#b7 whose journalists regularly face harassment1 fines1 and imprisonment for their work2 and ,whereas press freedom-- 7#a7 is a key component of democratic governance1 activism in civil society1 and socioeconomic development2 and 7#b7 enhances public accountability1 transparency1 and participation in civil society and democratic governance3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 declares that a free press-- 7,a7 is a central component of free societies and democratic governance2 7,b7 contributes to an informed civil society and government accountability2 7,c7 helps to expose corruption2 7,d7 enhances public accountability and transparency of governments at all levels2 and 7,e7 disseminates information that is essential to improving public health and safety2 7#b7 expresses concerns about threats to the exercise of freedom of expression1 including by the press1 around the world2 7#c7 recognizes and commends journalism's role in providing trusted1 accurate1 and timely information and in holding governments and leaders accountable to citizens2 7#d7 is dismayed that1 under cover of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 many governments have restricted the work of journalists reporting on the public health crisis and on peaceful protests on a variety of issues2 7#e7 pays tribute to journalists who made tremendous sacrifices1 including the loss of their lives1 in the pursuit of truth and justice2 7#f7 condemns all actions around the world that suppress press freedom2 7#g7 calls for the unconditional and immediate release of all wrongfully detained journalists2 7#h7 reaffirms the centrality of press freedom to efforts of the ,united ,states ,government to support democracy1 mitigate conflict1 and promote good governance domestically and around the world2 and 7#i7 calls upon the ,president and the ,secretary of ,state-- 7,a7 to preserve and build upon the leadership of the ,united ,states on issues relating to press freedom1 on the basis of the protections for freedom of the press afforded the ,american people under the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution of the ,united ,states2 7,b7 to transparently investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks against journalists2 and 7,c7 to promote the respect and protection of press freedom around the world4