Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, released the following statement on Wednesday on Turkish courts rejecting appeals for the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson, an American imprisoned in Turkey: “Over the past 18 months, it has become clear that President Erdogan has the ability to end this injustice, but he refuses to do so. President Erdogan has put Pastor Brunson and his family through 649 days of enormous suffering. Pastor Brunson must be released immedia... Read more

Today, President Trump stated the obvious—we know that Russia meddled in the election. He said further that he has "full faith and support" in the conclusion reached by the intelligence agencies in their investigation. This clarification is welcomed and, frankly, expected. In direct contradiction to Putin’s denials of the Russian state interfering in U.S. elections, I have read the Mueller indictment and have called on the Department of Justice to Red Notice the 12 Russian intelligence officers ... Read more

In his opening remarks at a hearing of the U.S. Helsinki Commission on “Russia’s Occupation of Georgia and the Erosion of the International Order,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) condemned Russia’s “unjust” war against Georgia, its “brutal” occupation, and its “illegal” attempt to “alienate Georgian territory.” “Despite Putin’s aggression the people of Georgia showed great courage and resolve and competence during a national emergency,” Smith said. (To read Smith’s full statement, click here.) Tuesday’... Read more

“Today’s summit broached crucial issues affecting human rights in many countries, election meddling, the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, and terrorism, among other serious concerns. “The summit must be just the beginning of an important conversation between the two world powers with the hope of changing, or at least beginning to mitigate, a totally unacceptable status quo on these human rights issues. I pressed Russian lawmakers on these concerns at a bilateral meeting that I led last week in B... Read more

On Thursday, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and an expert panel of global health experts discussed the deadly spread of Tuberculosis in Southern Africa, and what more the U.S. can do to help prevent and treat the spread of this disease. “This brutal, contagious disease killed 1.7 million people in 2016, the most recent data available – making it the deadliest infectious disease in the world – killing more than both HIV/AIDS and malaria combined,” Rep. Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcom... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) was recognized by the Autism Society on Thursday as “an amazing champion for individuals with autism and their families” at a reception on Capitol Hill. “Rep. Smith doesn’t just care about people with autism at home,” said Linda Walder, Founder and Executive Director of the Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, who introduced Smith. “He has been very involved in numerous initiatives to help people with autism worldwide. Rep. Smith, thank you for coming to this event to be with... Read more

Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), Cochair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (Commission), and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chair of the Commission,issued the following statements to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo and the release of his wife Liu Xia. “We welcome Liu Xia to a world of freedom she has never known and look forward to her recovery from an unjust and cruel detention. The world owes Liu Xiaobo, Liu Xia... Read more

Amendments sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) that condemn increasing incidents of anti-Semitism, and call on countries to clearly define anti-Semitism and more effectively prosecute hate crimes, were adopted by an international assembly of lawmakers on Monday. Read more

An international parliamentary assembly of leading lawmakers from 57 countries today adopted a comprehensive resolution, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), to create trafficking-free communities. Read more

On the sideline of a four-day meeting of over 300 lawmakers from 57 countries, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) led a meeting today with lawmakers from the Russian Duma (parliament) to discuss what Smith called "highly contested human rights issues.” Read more