HIGHLIGHTING THE 7-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF KHALIL MAATOUK

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HIGHLIGHTING THE 7-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF KHALIL

MAATOUK

(Mr. BUDD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the 7-year

anniversary of Christian human rights lawyer Khalil Maatouk's

unconscionable disappearance at the hands of Syrian dictator Bashar al-

Assad.

The regime abducted Maatouk because he had been relentlessly

defending Syrian democratic activists. He was last seen on October 2 of

2012.

Khalil Maatouk's ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the Assad

regime's barbaric assault on religious and Christian heritage,

blatantly violating international humanitarian law. According to a

September report from the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the regime

is responsible for targeting 61 percent of churches throughout the

country.

The United States demands the immediate release of Khalil Maatouk,

and I urge the administration to prioritize this case. We must stand up

for those who fight for freedom, especially freedom of religion.

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