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 hu-
manity, 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 pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2015 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. PITTS, and Mr. PAULSEN) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regard-
ing 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 en-
gaged in widespread torture, rape, employment of starva-
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•HRES 269 IH 
tion as a weapon of war, and massacre of civilians, in-
cluding 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 Le-
vant, are reported to have engaged in torture, rape, sum-
mary execution of government soldiers, kidnapping for 
ransom, and violence against civilians, including Chris-
tians and others who are not Sunni Muslims; 
Whereas these and other actions perpetrated by the Govern-
ment 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 estab-
lished tribunals through the United Nations to bring jus-
tice 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 pros-
ecuted 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 anal-
ysis of documentation related to the ongoing violations of 
human rights, the coordination of Syrian and inter-
national actors working on documentation and transi-
tional justice efforts, and education and outreach on 
transitional justice concepts and processes, including ef-
forts of the Syria Justice and Accountability Center 
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sponsored by the United States and various other states 
and multilateral institutions: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) the United States should urge the Govern-
ment of Syria and other parties to the civil war in 
Syria to implement an immediate cease fire and en-
gage in negotiations to end the bloodshed; 
(2) the United States should publicly declare 
that it is a requirement of basic justice that war 
crimes and crimes against humanity, whether com-
mitted by officials of the Government of Syria, or 
other parties to the civil war in Syria, should be in-
vestigated and prosecuted; 
(3) the President should direct the United 
States representative to the United Nations to use 
the voice and vote of the United States to imme-
diately promote the establishment of a Syrian war 
crimes tribunal, a special court to prosecute the per-
petrators of such serious crimes committed during 
the civil war in Syria; 
(4) in working with other countries to establish 
a Syrian war crimes tribunal, the United States 
should promote judicial procedures that enable the 
prosecution of the most culpable persons guilty of di-
recting such serious crimes; 
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(5) the United States should continue its efforts 
to collect and analyze documentation related to on-
going violations of human rights and make collection 
of information that can be supplied to a Syrian war 
crimes tribunal for use as evidence to support the in-
dictment and trial of any person involved in the civil 
war in Syria and responsible for war crimes or 
crimes against humanity in Syria an immediate pri-
ority; and 
(6) the United States should urge other inter-
ested states to apprehend and deliver into the cus-
tody of a Syrian war crimes tribunal persons in-
dicted for war crimes or crimes against humanity in 
Syria and urge such states to provide information 
pertaining to such crimes to the tribunal. 
Æ 
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