; Whereas Human Rights Watch described the case as an example of the Russian authorities abusing counterterrorism laws to silence critics and deny fundamental human rights ; Whereas, on June 18, 2019, the Department of State affirmed that the United States is deeply concerned by the growing number of individuals … identified by credible human rights organizations as political and religious prisoners held by the Government of the Russian Federation and called on the Government of the Russian Federation to release all those identified as political or religious prisoners immediately and cease its use of the legal system to suppress dissent and peaceful religious practice ; and Whereas, on January 28, 2020, 43 parliamentarians from 16 European countries introduced a Resolution in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to appoint a rapporteur to examine the growing crisis with politically motivated imprisonments in the Russian Federation : Now, therefore, be it