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Smith chairs first hearing in House on holding \u2018war criminal\u2019 Putin to account<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n WASHINGTON \u2014 Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)<\/a> today chaired the first hearing<\/a> in the House of Representatives to hold Russia accountable for its barbaric invasion of Ukraine, pressing for the prosecution of Vladimir Putin and others for their war crimes and crime of aggression against the Ukrainian people and nation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Smith\u2019s hearing follows new legislation he authored and introduced last night<\/a> urging the creation of appropriate regional or global justice mechanisms to immediately investigate and prosecute Putin and those responsible within the Russian Federation as \u201cwar criminals.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cToday, as the death tolls dramatically increases by the hour and as more than 1.3 million Ukrainians flee their homes since the invasion\u2014with estimates by the UNHCR<\/a> of up to 4 million people eventually fleeing\u2014the need is immediate to hold Putin and Russian officials to account,\u201d said Rep. Smith, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPutin\u2014and others responsible for this ongoing and ever-expanding mass murder, war crimes and crimes against humanity\u2014must be prosecuted for their crimes,\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe time to act for justice and accountability is now,\u201d Smith said. \u201cJustice delayed is justice denied.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Entitled \u201cAccountability for Russia\u2019s War Crimes and Aggression against Ukraine,\u201d<\/a> the TLHRC hearing examined viable options for accountability for Putin\u2019s invasion of Ukraine\u2014the largest and most lethal attack in Europe since World War II.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The hearing featured testimony from a panel of expert witnesses\u2014including David Kramer<\/a>, Managing Director of Global Policy for the George W. Bush Institute and former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; David Crane<\/a>, Founding Chief Prosecutor for the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone; and Dr. Jane Stromseth, the Former Deputy to the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice at the U.S. State Department.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Calling the current situation in Ukraine the \u201cgravest crisis in Europe since WWII,\u201d David Kramer emphasized the importance of swift and united action(s) by the international community. \u201cThe refrain \u2018never again\u2019 emerged in the wake of the Holocaust, and Ukrainians are wondering whether that pledge applies to them,\u201d said Kramer.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n David Crane spoke of the need for global \u201cleadership\u201d to \u201cbring the world together\u201d and called for \u201ca tribunal that has an appropriate mandate.\u201d \u201cStrongmen around the world are watching, like crocodiles, as to what we do about the international crimes committed by the Russian invasion of the Ukraine,\u201d said Crane.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go and put some bad guys in jail, shall we?\u201d Crane said.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Dr. Jane Stromseth said that \u201cinternational law is on our side\u2026the question now is how the international community will respond.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Stromseth added that \u201cfailure to stand up to those who order and commit such crimes will only embolden their sense of impunity\u201d and emphasized \u201ca strategy of mutually reinforcing accountability\u2014that is, accountability through multiple complementary mechanisms grounded in the fundamental principles of international law.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Whichever mechanism proves to be most effective at holding Putin accountable, Smith said \u201cwe\u2019ll find a way to get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFailure to do so would be gross negligence,\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n (Visited 3 times, 3 visits today)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n