On the recordJune 10, 2014
On January 1, 2008, Buffalo native John Granville was tragically murdered by Islamic extremists in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. John Granville was a kid from my own south Buffalo neighborhood, who was committed to helping those in the developing world. He was a former Peace Corps volunteer turned career diplomat. At the time of his death, Granville was working in South Sudan to assist in their efforts to hold free and fair elections after 20 years of brutal civil war. While John's killers were captured and convicted, they later escaped from prison under suspicious circumstances exactly 4 years ago. Two still remain at large. Meanwhile, the man who helped these killers escape was pardoned by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The State Department has issued a $5 million reward for information leading to the capture of these criminals through the Rewards for Justice program. It has classified the killers as global terrorists. Mr. Speaker, I implore my colleagues, if you share my outrage, to please seek justice for John Granville by cosponsoring my resolution, H. Res. 171, calling on the State Department to maintain Sudan on the state sponsors of terrorism list. ____________________
