Christopher Smith
Helsinki Commission Delegation Convenes Historic Bla...
Jul 14, 2022WASHINGTON—From June 29 – July 9, Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) led a bipartisan, bicameral congressional delegation to Romania, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Sweden to consult with senior officials across Europe about Russia’s war on Ukraine, security in the Black Sea region, and Finland and Sweden’s plans to join NATO. On […]
Congressional Delegation Led by Chairman Hastings Ch...
Feb 25, 2020WASHINGTON—Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20) last week led a bicameral, bipartisan congressional delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s (OSCE PA) 19th Winter Meeting in Vienna, Austria. At the meeting, Chairman Hastings and other members of the delegation engaged with OSCE officials, delegations from other OSCE participating States, and diplomats to advance U.S. […]
Delegation Led by Co-Chairman Wicker Demonstrates U....
Jul 10, 2019WASHINGTON—From July 4 to July 8, Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) led the largest bipartisan, bicameral U.S. delegation in history to the 2019 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session in Luxembourg. The participation of 19 members of Congress showed the deep U.S. commitment to European security and to countering Kremlin aggression and […]
U.S. Congressional Delegation Defends Human Rights, ...
Feb 27, 2019Led by Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), 12 members of Congress traveled to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Winter Meeting in Vienna in late February to demonstrate the commitment of the United States to security, human rights, and the rule of law in the 57-nation OSCE region. Sen. Wicker, who also serves as […]
Undermining Human Rights in the Name of Countering T...
Jan 30, 2019By Yena Seo Max Kampelman Fellow Governments of OSCE participating States commit to upholding human rights in all circumstances, including in the fight against violent extremism. However, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2017, issued in September 2018, several OSCE countries are failing to fulfill these obligations. The reports suggest […]
Helsinki Commission Welcomes Confirmation of New Hum...
Oct 16, 2018WASHINGTON—Following the confirmation by the U.S. Senate of John Cotton Richmond to be Ambassador for Trafficking in Persons and the Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP), Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) issued the following statements: “Ambassador Richmond […]
The Human Dimension is a Parliamentary Priority
Sep 21, 2018Each September, the OSCE focuses considerable attention on its body of commitments in the human dimension, ranging from human rights and fundamental freedoms, to democratic norms and the rule of law, to tolerance in society and other humanitarian concerns. For two weeks, the participating States and interested non-governmental organizations gather in Warsaw, Poland, to review […]
Condolence Letter from OSCE PA President to Helsinki...
Aug 30, 2018This week, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli offered his condolences to Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) following the death of Sen. John McCain. The letter reads in part: “His departure will leave a large void in the hallways of the U.S. Capitol and in many capital […]
Co-Chairman Smith Urges Release of Journalists Detai...
Aug 09, 2018WASHINGTON—Responding to the August 7 raids on editorial offices of Belarusian media and detentions of over a dozen journalists, Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), released the following statement: “I urge the immediate release of all journalists detained in Belarus and that the government cease its raids on civil society groups. Many patriotic Belarusians […]
Helsinki Commission Leaders Troubled by Continued Im...
Jul 18, 2018WASHINGTON—Following today’s ruling by a Turkish court that U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson will remain jailed pending his next trial date in October, the four senior members of the U.S. Helsinki Commission—Helsinki Chairman Roger Wicker (MS), Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Ranking Commissioner Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), and Ranking Commissioner Rep. Alcee Hastings (FL-20)—released the following […]
Russia’s Occupation of Georgia and the Erosion...
Jul 17, 2018August 2018 marks the ten-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia. A decade on, one-fifth of Georgian territory remains under Russian occupation. During this hearing, expert witnesses explained what is occurring behind the Russian-imposed internal administrative boundary lines in occupied Georgia, as well as the implications of […]
The Russian Occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia
Jul 16, 2018August 2018 marks 10 years of Russian occupation of approximately 20 percent of Georgia’s internationally recognized sovereign territory. The Russian occupation, and the ensuing recognition by Moscow of the “independence” of South Ossetia (referred to in Georgia as the Tskhinvali region) and Abkhazia, represent material breaches of international law and an active disregard for the […]