OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – September 12th, 2016
Pending before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is a bill that provides undue and unnecessary concessions to the Russian Federation, the Republic of Cuba, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) through the form of blanket cultural property exchange immunity.
This bill would allow dictatorial states to display their artworks within the United States borders without the ability for claims to be made in U.S. courts, and would also encourage looting from conflicts zones.
Oklahoma State Representative Paul Wesselhöft explained that, “this bill would provide blanket concessions to criminal states such as Russia, or Cuba. The bill supported by Senators Grassley and Hatch before the U.S. Senate is downright immoral and stands against the very rights this nation has supported, while also in violation of stated United States foreign policy. It is appalling that a bill of this nature has even been considered for review in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It has no place in the legislature of the United States and should be immediately pulled from consideration.”
Representative Wesselhöft stated his support for the efforts of the Holocaust Art Restitution Project and the Holocaust Remembrance and Restitution Foundation over the past few weeks. These two organizations based in the United States, work towards helping the victims of cultural theft crimes that were committed against them by totalitarian regimes.
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