Today, March 9th, 2022, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) joined Reps. Victoria Spartz (IN-05) and Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) to introduce a bipartisan resolution supporting an investigation into war crimes committed by Russian President Putin and his military commanders in the International Criminal Court.
This legislation is the House companion to S. Res. 546, introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Chris Coons (D-DE).
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is in complete violation of international law and should be treated as such. We have all seen the footage of the Russian military blindly firing missiles into Ukrainian cities,” said Miller-Meeks. “They are making no distinction between civilian and military and have killed thousands of innocent Ukrainians. They must be held accountable.”
“Military commanders who are willing to obey orders to purposely kill innocent civilians should be held accountable as much as the person who makes these orders,” said Spartz. “My colleagues and I would like to express our support for holding these generals accountable in The Hague.”
“Putin the war criminal has long pillaged and murdered those whose love for freedom offends him. The great wars of the 20th century taught us that an attack on liberty anywhere is an attack on liberty everywhere,” said Kaptur. “Right now, Ukraine’s battle is the world’s battle. The United States and our allies around the globe have an obligation to defend Ukraine from the carnage Putin has unleashed.”
“Dictators like Putin care only about themselves and their cronies,” said Graham. “This resolution supports efforts to bring forward war crimes complaints against the Putin regime to the International Criminal Court and is a chance to stop Putin’s madness. The resolution supports the investigation of Putin as a war criminal and urges the ICC and ICJ to expand their investigation to include the Russian military and its commanders who are carrying out these war crimes. If the United States Senate supports efforts to hold Putin accountable, I believe other nations will join. It will be the first step in decades to make the consequences of his actions real to Putin.”
Background:
This resolution:
• Strongly condemns the ongoing violence, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and systematic human rights abuses continually being carried out by the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies and President Putin’s military commanders, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin
• Encourages nations to take any and all action to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies, and President Putin’s military commanders, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin
• Supports any investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity, and systematic human rights abuses levied by President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Security Council, the Russian Armed Forces, and their proxies, and President Putin’s military commanders
• Encourages the United States Government and partner nations to use their voices, votes, and influence in international institutions in which they are members to hold President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Security Council, the Russian Armed Forces, and their proxies, and President Putin’s military commanders accountable for their sponsorship of ongoing violence, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and systematic human rights abuses
Miller-Meeks has cosponsored several pieces of legislation intended to sanction Russia, its government, and its leadership, including the GUARD Act, the Putin Accountability Act, the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, the Prohibition on Imports of Russian Oil Act, the Ban Russian Energy Imports Act, and sanctioning the Russian Parliament
Original source can be found here
