Expressing the sense of Congress that the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria include war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

H.Con.Res. 75, Expressing the sense of Congress that the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria include war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, generally Religious liberty issues, generally

Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $40,000

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

On behalf of 73 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of H. Con. Res. 75, a resolution expressing the sense of Congress that those who commit or support atrocities against Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities, including Yezidis, Turkmen, Sabea-Mandeans, Kaka`e, and Kurds, and who target them specifically for ethnic or religious reasons, are committing, and are hereby declared to be committing, `war crimes', `crimes against humanity', and `genocide'. Since the emergence of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Christians and other religious minorities including Yezidis, Turkmen, Sabea-Mandeans, Kakae, Kurds, and Shia, have been targeted for extermination and forced to flee their homelands. The atrocities perpetrated against these vulnerable groups shock the conscience of civilized humanity. They have been systematically murdered and subjected to grievous bodily harm and psychological harm, including sexual slavery and abuse inflicted in a deliberate and calculated manner. ISIS is committing genocide against religious groups that do not conform to ISISs totalitarian definition of true Islam. The United States government and the global community must universally acknowledge the genocide that is taking place against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. Without a swift and decisive response from the international community, the lives and ancient cultural heritage of these minorities could be eradicated from the Middle East completely. It is our belief that officially declaring and subsequently halting this genocide and its spread is a matter of vital moral and strategic importance for the United States, the international community, and the overall state of religious freedom around the world. On March 14, 2016, this resolution passed the House on motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 393 - 0. On behalf of 112 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge the U.S. government to declare the Islamic States systematic destruction of the ancient religious minority communities in Iraq and Syria including Christians-Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs, Copts, etc.-Yazidis, Shia Muslims, Turkmen (Shia), Shabak and others to be genocide. There is a growing chorus of political and faith leaders, genocide scholars, human rights experts and numerous Iraqi and Syrian, Christian and Yazidi firsthand testimonies recognizing that the most accurate description for the atrocities unfolding at the initiative of the Islamic State is genocide. We believe that without a formal declaration the U.S. Government has abdicated its duty and vow to confront the most heinous of human rights violations, namely genocide. The Administration has a tremendous opportunity to extend American leadership at a crucial time on behalf of the ancient religious and ethnic minority communities who are experiencing the most brutal reality imaginable - genocide. In their most recent report, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq - Human Rights Office stated clearly that ISIL continue to target members of different ethnic and religious communities, expounding further [t]hese acts appear to form part of a systematic and widespread policy that aims to suppress, permanently expel, or destroy many of these communities within ISIL areas of control. On February 4, 2016, the European Parliament adopted a resolution designating the crimes the Islamic State has committed against ethnic and religious minorities as genocide. In the declaration, they remind other signatories of the 1948 U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to acknowledge the crimes of the Islamic State and to coordinate with the larger international community. At this critical juncture, a designation of genocide by the United States would strengthen the actions of the international community and further extend American leadership. Time and again the Islamic State has committed crimes with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the ethnic and religious minority communities of Iraq and Syria. The world is watching and clear moral leadership by the Administration is needed to declare and subsequently stop such atrocities in order to preserve these ancient communities. It is our belief that officially declaring and subsequently halting this genocide is a matter of vital moral and strategic importance for the United States, the international community, and the overall state of religious freedom around the world. On March17, 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry said that the United States has determined that the Islamic State is carrying out genocide against Christians and other religious groups in the Middle East. On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015; and in support of a markup in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We must work to create a context where people can live with their deepest differences. The recent turmoil in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine-including the alarming spike in incidents of violence and persecution of Christians, Muslim communities, and other religious minorities-offers the latest examples of what happens if we do not. The purpose of the bill is to update the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) and improve the capacity of the U.S. government to advance religious freedom globally by giving the Administration and State Department new political tools to better counter violent extremism and sectarian violence, growing anti-Semitism and restriction on religious minorities (e.g., a tier system for IRF reports on countries of particular concern and a special watch list, annual actions on countries with severe IRF abuses, authority to sanction individuals responsible for committing severe violations of IRF or materially supporting terrorism or violent extremism, and the ability to designate non-state actors as part of the Country of Particular Concern list and a range of sanctions targeting individual members of such groups); expanding diplomatic training, counter-terrorism coordination, and foreign assistance efforts; and reauthorizing the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) through 2021. With the passage and implementation of H.R. 1150, a strengthened IRFA and a stronger IRF policy-as integrated into U.S. foreign policy and national security-the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, as well as our common global security in the fight against persecution and religious extremism, and terrorism. Doing so is consistent with the best of our values, practically protecting our interests as a result.

Religious freedom -"First Amendment Defense Act" (S.1598/H.R.2802); International Religious Freedom - U.S. recognition of ISIS actions against Christians as genocide (related to H.Con.Res.75/S.Con.Res.33)

Client expense: $7,538 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

Armenian Genocide (HRes154;SRes140). Dept of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act FY 2016 and relevant companion bill in the Senate (All areas pertaining to the Caucasus). Protection of minorities in Syria & Iraq (HConRes75, HRes440). Nagorno Karabakh. U.S. Armenia tax and trade. U.S.-Turkey relations. U.S. relations in Caucasus.

Client expense: $30,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Security Council (NSC), SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

H.Con.Res. 75, Expressing the sense of Congress that the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria include war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, generally Religious liberty issues, generally

Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $40,000

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.Con. Res. 75 Expressing the sense of Congress that the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria include war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.: Naming the persecution and systematic killing of Christians in the Middle East genocide.

Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

On behalf of 112 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge support and the swift passage of S. 1798, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Reauthorization Act of 2015. We believe S. 1798 strengthens USCIRFs mandate and the tools at its disposal, while providing a much-needed six-year authorization at a critical time when assaults on religious freedom around the world are systemic and growing. In fact, the current state of international religious freedom is one of deepening crisis-according to the Pew Research Centers latest annual study on global restrictions on religion, 77% of the worlds population live in countries with a high or very high overall level of restriction on religion in 2013, up from 76% in 2012 and 68% in 2007. This bill passed the House by voice vote on October 6, 2015, and was signed by the President on October 16. It became Public Law No: 114-071. On behalf of 145 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our grave concern for religious minorities, among them Yezidis, Christians and Shia Muslims, at the hands of the Islamic State; and to urge U.S. government leaders to formally declare the systematic destruction of these ancient communities a genocide. Mounting evidence indisputably shows the Islamic States ongoing genocidal campaign in the Middle East through its attempts to create a global caliphate devoid of religious freedom and diversity. For more than a year, the news headlines have been replete with stories of almost unimaginable human suffering caused by the Islamic State. Religious minorities in these lands, among them the ancient Christian, Yezidi and Shia Muslim communities, have suffered grave injustices: displacement, forced conversion, kidnapping, rape and death. Furthermore, the intent to commit genocide can be clearly seen in the Islamic States ideology, as outlined in its propaganda, which calls for the eradication or subjugation of those who do not conform to the groups ideology. In Iraq, this has manifested most blatantly in the insurgencys treatment of religious and ethnic minorities, members of whom have been killed, tortured, kidnapped, raped, enslaved, brainwashed, forcibly converted and/or driven from their ancient homelands. Under the Islamic State, religious minorities now face an existential crisis and live on the edge of extinction in the lands that many have inhabited since antiquity. These communities will continue on a trajectory of tragic and precipitous decline into eventual non-existence without swift moral leadership on behalf of the administration and the international community. It is our belief that officially declaring and subsequently halting this genocide and its spread is a matter of vital moral and strategic importance for the United States, the international community, and the overall state of religious freedom around the world. Perhaps equally as important, such a declaration will give a stronger voice to the long-suffering victims while furthering and sharpening ideological engagement against those currently at the forefront of this campaign. On behalf of 73 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of H. Con. Res. 75, a resolution expressing the sense of Congress that those who commit or support atrocities against Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities, including Yezidis, Turkmen, Sabea-Mandeans, Kaka`e, and Kurds, and who target them specifically for ethnic or religious reasons, are committing, and are hereby declared to be committing, `war crimes', `crimes against humanity', and `genocide'. Since the emergence of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Christians and other religious minorities including Yezidis, Turkmen, Sabea-Mandeans, Kakae, Kurds, and Shia, have been targeted for extermination and forced to flee their homelands. The atrocities perpetrated against these vulnerable groups shock the conscience of civilized humanity. They have been systematically murdered and subjected to grievous bodily harm and psychological harm, including sexual slavery and abuse inflicted in a deliberate and calculated manner. ISIS is committing genocide against religious groups that do not conform to ISISs totalitarian definition of true Islam. The United States government and the global community must universally acknowledge the genocide that is taking place against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. Without a swift and decisive response from the international community, the lives and ancient cultural heritage of these minorities could be eradicated from the Middle East completely. It is our belief that officially declaring and subsequently halting this genocide and its spread is a matter of vital moral and strategic importance for the United States, the international community, and the overall state of religious freedom around the world. Client was one of 27 organizations and individuals who signed a multi-faith letter, which was used in contacts to support an Atrocity Accountability Provision (Provision) during negotiations on the FY16 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill (section 7047(b) of S.1725, the Senate reported version of the FY16 State, Foreign Operations bill). The United States has long been a champion of accountability and justice for perpetrators of atrocity crimes, including in Nazi Germany, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia. The passage of this Provision will further solidify American leadership on the rule of law and human rights, and, of particular interest to us, will allow the U.S. to promote accountability and justice in conflict situations involving religious persecution. The International Criminal Court (ICC or Court) is the worlds only permanent international tribunal mandated to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes. The ICCs governing statute specifically includes religious persecution as a punishable offense within the three core atrocity crimes that the Court prosecutes - genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes - and religious freedom abuses are implicated in six of the eight country situations currently before the Court. In light of the ICCs mandate to prosecute perpetrators of religious persecution, and as a result of the recognition that the Court serves to protect core religious values, including justice, bearing witness, redress, and protecting the vulnerable, many faith-based organizations from diverse cultural, social, and political backgrounds support the work and mission of the ICC. Moreover, the U.S. has been broadly supportive of all of the ICCs cases, as they are consistent with U.S. national interests. The Provision fills a gap in U.S. law that hampers Americas ability to provide the full array of professional, logistical, and similar resources to ICC cases. Current law permits the U.S. to provide only limited, in-kind support to the ICC on a case-by-case basis, provided such support is already paid for by another non-ICC related appropriation - which, unfortunately, is a rare occurrence. This means that the U.S. cannot appropriate new funds or allocate existing funds to finance American support of ICC cases, even when such support has been determined to be in the American interests. This results in the U.S. being unable to provide the ICC with particular expertise and resources needed to bring to justice perpetrators of atrocities, including the most egregious abuses of international religious freedom. This limitation should be of serious concern to the United States because, in many cases, the ICC is the only mechanism available to hold individuals accountable for their commission of religiously-motivated atrocities. Indeed, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recently recommended that the U.S. push for a United Nations Security Council Resolution that refers ISIS atrocities to the ICC. The Provision would fill this gap by enabling the U.S. to provide to the ICC the same type of critical support that it provided to the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda tribunals. On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015. We must work to create a context where people can live with their deepest differences. The recent turmoil in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine-including the alarming spike in incidents of violence and persecution of Christians, Muslim communities, and other religious minorities-offers the latest examples of what happens if we do not. The purpose of the bill is to update the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) and improve the capacity of the U.S. government to advance religious freedom globally by giving the Administration and State Department new political tools to better counter violent extremism and sectarian violence, growing anti-Semitism and restriction on religious minorities (e.g., a tier system for IRF reports on countries of particular concern and a special watch list, annual actions on countries with severe IRF abuses, authority to sanction individuals responsible for committing severe violations of IRF or materially supporting terrorism or violent extremism, and the ability to designate non-state actors as part of the Country of Particular Concern list and a range of sanctions targeting individual members of such groups); expanding diplomatic training, counter-terrorism coordination, and foreign assistance efforts; and reauthorizing the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) through 2021. With the passage and implementation of H.R. 1150, a strengthened IRFA and a stronger IRF policy-as integrated into U.S. foreign policy and national security-the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, as well as our common global security in the fight against persecution and religious extremism, and terrorism. Doing so is consistent with the best of our values, practically protecting our interests as a result. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to promote the idea of a public briefing event to engage leaders of the Kazakhstan government and discuss deep concerns about the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations in light of the recent Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on his Mission to Kazakhstan. Certain provisions of the 2011 Religion Law are inconsistent with both Kazakhstans Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Special Rapporteur made several substantive, reasonable and fair recommendations to bring the Constitution and Kazakh law fully into line with Article 18 of the ICCPR and other relevant international human rights standards. The Kazakh government could be urged to make these changes to the law.

Armenian Genocide (HRes154;SRes140). Dept of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act FY 2016 and relevant companion bill in the Senate (All areas pertaining to the Caucasus). Protection of minorities in Syria & Iraq (HConRes75, HRes440). Nagorno Karabakh. U.S. Armenia tax and trade. U.S.-Turkey relations. U.S. relations in Caucasus. US-Syria relations.

Client expense: $30,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Security Council (NSC), SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Armenian Genocide (HRes154;SRes140). Dept of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act FY 2016 and relevant companion bill in the Senate (All areas pertaining to the Caucasus). Protection of minorities in Syria & Iraq (HConRes75, HRes440). Nagorno Karabakh. U.S. Armenia tax and trade. U.S.-Turkey relations. U.S. relations in Caucasus. US-Syria relations.

Client expense: $20,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Security Council (NSC), SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)