Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/3753

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[120 STAT. 3722]
PUBLIC LAW 109-000—MMMM. DD, 2006
[120 STAT. 3722]

120 STAT. 3722

CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—MAY 3, 2006

Whereas continuing impunity for these crimes is a threat to the rule of law in Mexico: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress— (1) condemns the ongoing abductions and murders of young ´ women in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1993; (2) expresses its sincerest condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of the victims of these murders; (3) recognizes the courageous struggle of the victims’ families in seeking justice for the victims; (4) urges the President and Secretary of State to incorporate the investigative and preventative efforts of the Mexican Government in the bilateral agenda between the Governments of Mexico and the United States and to continue to express concern over these abductions and murders to the Government of Mexico; (5) urges the President and Secretary of State to continue to express support for the efforts of the victims’ families to seek justice for the victims, to express concern relating to the continued harassment of these families and the human rights defenders with whom they work, and to express concern with respect to impediments in the ability of the families to receive prompt and accurate information in their cases; (6) supports ongoing efforts to identify unknown victims through forensic analysis, including DNA testing, conducted by independent, impartial experts who are sensitive to the special needs and concerns of the victims’ families, as well as efforts to make these services available to any families who have doubts about the results of prior forensic testing; (7) condemns the use of torture as a means of investigation into these crimes; (8) encourages the Secretary of State to continue to include in the annual Country Report on Human Rights of the Department of State all instances of improper investigatory methods, threats against human rights activists, and the use of torture with respect to cases involving the murder and abduction of young women in the State of Chihuahua; (9) encourages the Secretary of State to urge the Government of Mexico and the State of Chihuahua to review the cases of murdered women in which those accused or convicted of murder have credibly alleged they were tortured or forced by a state agent to confess to the crime; (10) strongly recommends that the United States Ambas´ sador to Mexico visit Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua for the purpose of meeting with the families of the victims, women’s rights organizations, and Mexican Federal and State officials responsible for investigating these crimes and preventing future such crimes; (11) encourages the Secretary of State to urge the Government of Mexico to ensure fair and proper judicial proceedings for the individuals who are accused of these abductions and murders and to impose appropriate punishment for those individuals subsequently determined to be guilty of such crimes; (12) encourages the Secretary of State to urge the State of Chihuahua to hold accountable those law enforcement officials whose failure to adequately investigate the murders,

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