Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
May 31, 2007
CONTACT: Karoon Panosyan
E-mail: [email protected]
REPRESENTATIVES BERMAN AND PENCE INTRODUCE
GENOCIDE ACCOUNTABLITY ACT
Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America commended Congressmen
Howard L. Berman (D-CA) and Mike Pence (R-IN) for introducing the
Genocide Accountability Act in the House of Representatives last week.
The bipartisan legislation would make a non-U.S. national who commits
genocide outside of the United States also accountable under U.S. law.
"This bill is urgently needed to ensure that the United States can bring
to justice those who commit this atrocious crime when they are not
prosecuted elsewhere," Berman said in a press statement.
Under current law, genocide is only a crime if it is committed within
the United States or by a U.S. national outside of the country. Although
the Justice Department has identified perpetrators of the Rwandan and
Bosnian genocides who are living in the United States, it does not have
the jurisdictional right to interview or charge any of these
individuals.
"The fact that we know who these people are and where they are, yet are
unable to prosecute them is an injustice to all those who suffered from
genocide," said Berman. "This bill must be enacted as swiftly as
possible to provide the Justice Department with the tools they need."
"We applaud Congressmen Berman and Pence for introducing this
significant piece of legislation, which strengthens the U.S. commitment
to fighting and stopping genocide," said Assembly Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny. "The Assembly has been advocating for the prevention and
prosecution of current and ongoing atrocities around the world for just
as long as it has been calling for affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
Affirmation and prevention are one and the same principle for ending the
scourge of genocide."
A similar bill introduced in the Senate by Senators Richard Durbin
(D-IL), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), John Cornyn (R-TX) and
Russ Feingold (D-WI), was unanimously passed in March.
The Armenian Assembly of America is one of several organizations that
endorsed the Genocide Accountability Act. Earlier this year, the
Assembly submitted testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on
Human Rights for its inaugural hearing on "Genocide and the Rule of
Law." The Assembly also submitted testimony to a key House Subcommittee
hearing on the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act (H. R. 180) in
support of efforts to bring legitimate pressure on the government, to
affect change in its domestic and international conduct, toward
addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Darfur, and prevent future
violence in that region.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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