; and (6) the United States Government should increase assistance and diplomatic efforts in Europe, including in European Union and NATO countries, to address threats to fundamental human rights and backsliding in rule of law protections, operating space for independent media and civil society, and other democratic institutions, whose strength is critical to defending against malign Russian influence over the long term. 707. Addressing abuse and misuse by the Russian Federation of INTERPOL red notices and red diffusions (a) Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) The International Criminal Police Organization (in this section referred to as INTERPOL ) works to prevent and fight crime through enhanced cooperation and innovation on police and security matters, including counterterrorism, cybercrime, counternarcotics, and transnational organized crime. (2) United States membership and participation in INTERPOL advanced the national security and law enforcement interests of the United States related to combating terrorism, cybercrime, narcotics, and transnational organized crime. (3) Article 2 of INTERPOL’s Constitution states that the organization aims [t]o ensure and promote the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities […] in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . (4) Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution states that [i]t is strictly forbidden for the Organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character . (5) Some INTERPOL member countries have used the INTERPOL's processes, including the red notice and red diffusions mechanisms, for activities of a political character. (b) Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that the Government of the Russian Federation has abused and misused INTERPOL’s red notice and red diffusion mechanisms for overtly political purposes and activities such as intimidating, harassing, and persecuting political opponents. (c) Censure of russian activity The Attorney