IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 269 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the need 

for investigation and prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity, whether committed by officials of the Government of Syria or 

other parties to the civil war in Syria, and calling on the President 

to direct the United States representative to the United Nations to 

use the voice and vote of the United States to immediately promote 

the establishment of a Syrian war crimes tribunal, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2015 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. PITTS, and Mr. PAULSEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the need for investigation and prosecution of war 

crimes and crimes against humanity, whether committed 

by officials of the Government of Syria or other parties 

to the civil war in Syria, and calling on the President 

to direct the United States representative to the United 

Nations to use the voice and vote of the United States 

to immediately promote the establishment of a Syrian 

war crimes tribunal, and for other purposes. 

Whereas the Government of Syria is reported to have engaged in widespread torture, rape, employment of starvaVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 May 15, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR269.IH HR269

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•HRES 269 IH 

tion as a weapon of war, and massacre of civilians, including by means of chemical weapons; 

Whereas other parties to the civil war in Syria, including the 

al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, are reported to have engaged in torture, rape, summary execution of government soldiers, kidnapping for 

ransom, and violence against civilians, including Christians and others who are not Sunni Muslims; 

Whereas these and other actions perpetrated by the Government of Syria and other parties to the civil war in Syria 

may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity; 

Whereas Syria is not a state-party to the Rome Statute and 

is not a member of the International Criminal Court; 

Whereas the international community has previously established tribunals through the United Nations to bring justice in specific countries where there have been war 

crimes and crimes against humanity; 

Whereas such tribunals, including the International Criminal 

Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International 

Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the Special Court for 

Sierra Leone, have successfully investigated and prosecuted war crimes and crimes against humanity, and 

there are many positive lessons to be learned from these 

three tribunals; and 

Whereas the United States supports the collection and analysis of documentation related to the ongoing violations of 

human rights, the coordination of Syrian and international actors working on documentation and transitional justice efforts, and education and outreach on 

transitional justice concepts and processes, including efforts of the Syria Justice and Accountability Center 


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•HRES 269 IH 

sponsored by the United States and various other states 

and multilateral institutions: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) the United States should urge the Govern4 ment of Syria and other parties to the civil war in 

5 Syria to implement an immediate cease fire and en6 gage in negotiations to end the bloodshed; 

7 (2) the United States should publicly declare 

8 that it is a requirement of basic justice that war 

9 crimes and crimes against humanity, whether com10 mitted by officials of the Government of Syria, or 

11 other parties to the civil war in Syria, should be in12 vestigated and prosecuted; 

13 (3) the President should direct the United 

14 States representative to the United Nations to use 

15 the voice and vote of the United States to imme16 diately promote the establishment of a Syrian war 

17 crimes tribunal, a special court to prosecute the per18 petrators of such serious crimes committed during 

19 the civil war in Syria; 

20 (4) in working with other countries to establish 

21 a Syrian war crimes tribunal, the United States 

22 should promote judicial procedures that enable the 

23 prosecution of the most culpable persons guilty of di24 recting such serious crimes; 


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•HRES 269 IH 

1 (5) the United States should continue its efforts 

2 to collect and analyze documentation related to on3 going violations of human rights and make collection 

4 of information that can be supplied to a Syrian war 

5 crimes tribunal for use as evidence to support the in6 dictment and trial of any person involved in the civil 

7 war in Syria and responsible for war crimes or 

8 crimes against humanity in Syria an immediate pri9 ority; and 

10 (6) the United States should urge other inter11 ested states to apprehend and deliver into the cus12 tody of a Syrian war crimes tribunal persons in13 dicted for war crimes or crimes against humanity in 

14 Syria and urge such states to provide information 

15 pertaining to such crimes to the tribunal. 

Æ 


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